Ashley Jablow, Work + Life Alignment Coach

Wheels up! ✈️

I’m flying out today on a secret mission: to take the next step towards a goal that’s been on my vision board for a really, really long time.

[More to come on that very soon!]

In the meantime, here’s your reminder: Start Now.

It’s your life to live. Make sure you’re living it.

This week I closed a two-year coaching relationship with a thoughtful, smart executive leader. And it surprised me.

There's this assumption in coaching that many of us have – namely, that working with a coach will "solve" the problem we're facing. I need a job, I get a job.

But the more I sit in my coach seat, and even the more I work with my own coaches, the more I realize: we are never done.

Yes, coaching guides you to make aligned choices and changes. But anyone who's gotten that new job or started that business knows that life doesn't stop when you reach the milestone. We may ask different questions and pursue new opportunities, but we never stop evolving.

That's why it felt so spot-on to see these two cards pop out from The Little Deck of Sweet Reflections, just as we started our closing session.

As they say, every ending is also a beginning!

I'm so grateful to this client – and all of my clients – who remind me that every day is a chance to begin again, and to imagine who we are becoming and where we are going.

What cycle, relationship or experience are you ending these days? And what's beginning to take shape in its place?

I’ll admit, I'm not the best houseplant parent.

I was inspecting one of my plants the other day – looking at the yellowing, wilting leaves and wondering: “What the heck is going on below the surface?”

That’s when it hit me.

There’s only so much I can understand about my plants by looking at them.

I have to go beneath the surface and look at the roots. Even more, I have to inspect the pot and the soil, and examine if the conditions are right for that plant to thrive.

Making change in our lives is kind of the same thing.

We assume all that matters is the part of our lives we can see…

…Our jobs, our physical health, our relationships, etc.

Just like a houseplant that lives in dry or diseased soil, we can only thrive when we take into account the systems and structures that our lives are built upon:

Capitalism.
Patriarchy.
Racism.
White Supremacy.

And my favorite, what I like to call The Traditional Path for High Achieving Women.

The Traditional Path for High Achieving Women is like the fertilizer that was mixed into your soil on Day 1 – and has been allowed to infiltrate the entire pot.

It’s the lie that you have to push yourself. That you can’t rest. That you have to excel.
It’s the lie that you have to look a certain way, act a certain way, live a certain way.
It’s the lie that – if you just work hard enough, pay your dues, and follow the prescribed path – you'll be successful.

I believe the biggest mistake we make is assuming that our soil is clean. That the changes we want to make or the dreams we have for their lives can be accomplished simply by taking care of what’s on the surface.

Which means the biggest opportunity in front of us is this:

Look at the container you were planted in.
Examine the soil that surrounds you.
Untangle your roots so your leaves can grow bigger.
Upgrade to a larger pot and put yourself in the sunshine.

As always, it's the inner work that fuels the outer changes we want. So, what’s going on under the surface? Is the soil you're sitting in setting you up to thrive?

Today's gentle reminder... you are the only expert in you!

How do new ideas come into the world and become real?

In her book “Big Magic,” Liz Gilbert talks about her hypothesis that ideas choose us. 

Like living, breathing beings, ideas tap us on the shoulder, offer themselves up to us, and wait for us to bring them into reality.

Ideas are patient, she says – but only for so long. After a while, if you don’t nurture the idea, it will move on to a more ready and willing creative partner.

Ideas want to live, Liz says. And I’ve always believed her.

In 2017 an idea tapped me on the shoulder and told me it wanted me to bring it into being.

I wasn’t ready then. But I am now.

On Monday I’m going to share the news about my biggest, boldest, most audacious project yet.

Not because I’m hoping it becomes a unicorn that makes zillions.

But because it’s the closest thing I’ve come to (yet) that expresses my unique and authentic point of view.

It’s the closest thing I’ve come to (yet) that shares what I know in service of helping others live their most unique and authentic lives.

So, watch this space on Monday – I am literally buzzing with excitement.

And if you want to know the news sooner, be sure to subscribe to my newsletter. I’m sharing a preview with my readers on Sunday!

Link to subscribe is in my bio!



📸 Jacqui DePas Schlosser

It’s taken me years to finally feel brave enough to say this:

I LOVE the thrill of standing at the front of the room with a microphone in my hand.

When I’m up there, I feel empowered. In flow. Aligned and on purpose.

I shied away from admitting this because I thought it was showy. Like, what would people think of me?

But the truth is: when I feel aligned in my work, I’m able to serve people more deeply.

Being on stage – whether I’m facilitating a team values session, teaching life design tools, or emceeing community events –

That’s where I feel most capable of delivering transformation for others.

And I’m no longer afraid to say it!

Have you noticed that there are certain contexts, situations or even activities that make you feel more in flow or in your purpose at work?

What might shift for you if you allowed yourself to do more of THAT?

And if you’re looking for a facilitator, inspirational speaker, or life design teacher for your next event – let’s chat!



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I am interning for my Future Self.

Every day, I show up to work – ready to learn from her.

How she makes decisions. How she guides others. How she holds herself.

Every day, I show up with my family – ready to emulate her.

How she moves through the daily routines. How she’s present with her loved ones. How she cares for herself.

Through careful study and intentional practice, I am learning to become my Future Self.

And she can’t wait for me to step into her shoes one day.



[And a huge thank you to for this beautiful photo. When I see this woman in the picture, my Younger Self can’t believe that I get to be and do all that I am!]

“How do I know if it’s time to make a change?”

There are lots of reasons why people feel stuck. But one of the most common?

TIMING.

Is now the right time to…

- Quit my job?
- Negotiate for a promotion?
- Start my new business?
- Take a sabbatical?

“How do I KNOW,” you might be wondering?

So this Sunday I am sharing 3 signs that – without any doubt – will answer that question for you.

Want to know what they are? Get them delivered straight to your inbox here → https://lnkd.in/eQFEA4j4 or at the link in my bio

Now tell me: how have you answered this question in the past? What are the clues that have told you it’s time for a change?



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