The Life You're Creating

The Purpose and The Pivot is a podcast for women navigating transitions in career, leadership, faith, and personal growth. It’s for those moments when you’re re-evaluating what’s next and choosing to realign with purpose—intentionally and confidently.

Through honest conversations, meaningful stories, and practical insight, we’ll explore how to embrace change, lead through transition, and move forward with clarity after the pivot.

McLain Career & Life Coaching dba McLain Enterprises, LLC

https://www.mclainenterprisesllc.com

https://calendly.com/mclainenterprises/30min 

Produced & Edited by: Tyrone K. Sullivan (Media Director)
linkedin.com/in/tyroneksullivan 

Transcript

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SPEAKER_00 0:02

Welcome to the Purpose and the Pivot, the podcast for women who know it's time for more. With your host, C. Renee McLean, career and life coach and champion for women navigating change with confidence and clarity. Each week we'll have real conversations about career moves, life transitions, mindset shifts, and the power of redefining your purpose at every stage of life. Whether you're pivoting professionally, personally, or both, this is your space for guidance, growth, and grounded support. Let's dive in.

SPEAKER_01 0:45

Welcome to The Purpose and the Pivot. Today's episode is the life you are creating. Moving from transition to intention. Uh-huh. Yeah. In our last episode, we talked about transitions. Those seasons when you're no longer where you were. But you're not quite sure where you're going. We talked about the uncertainty, the identity shifts, the grief that can come with leaving something familiar. Mm-hmm. Yeah. And the importance of giving yourself permission to be in the in-between. Oh, but today, today, I want to take that conversation one step further. Yes, because eventually the question becomes, now that I've transitioned, what am I going to create? Yes, let's get into this. What will your next chapter look like? What will you carry forward? And perhaps most importantly, what kind of life do you want to create from this point forward? Oh my goodness. One of the most powerful things about transition is that it gives you an opportunity to pause and reassess. Uh-huh, yeah. When something changes, a career, a relationship, a role, an environment, or even a season of life, we feel pressured to immediately figure out what's next. Oh my goodness, but what if you don't rush? What if you use this transitional period of time in your life as an opportunity to ask yourself some deeper questions? What do I want now? Not what did I want five years ago, not what does my family want for me, not what does society tell me I should want, but what do I want now? Because you've changed. Uh-huh, yeah. You've learned some things, you've experienced some things, you've grown. And the life you create next should reflect that. Right? It should reflect who you are now walking into, the person you are now walking into and becoming not simply the person you used to be. Sometimes we enter into a new season carrying old expectations. But your next chapter doesn't have to look like your last, right? We assume our next job should look just like our previous job. But what if you want to pivot to something different? Hmm, it's okay. Yeah. Sometimes we think our next relationship should look like the last one. Why would we think that if it didn't work out? Say law. Sometimes we think our next chapter should follow the same path. But you know what, guys? A pivot. A pivot gives you permission to reconsider. Yeah. Maybe you don't want what you once thought you wanted. Maybe your definition of success has changed. Yeah. Maybe what used to motivate you no longer does. And maybe what you once tolerated in that old relationship is no longer acceptable for the new one, right? That's not confusion, that's growth. And you are allowed to create a different life because you have become different. Yes, an evolved version of you. Yeah. So when we're in transition, you know, it is easy to operate from reaction. Something happens, and we just initially just react, right? We lose a job, so we immediately look for a new one. We experience a setback, so we hurry up and try to fix it. We become uncomfortable, so we rush back to something that's familiar. But intentional living asks us to slow down. Slow down. Instead of asking, what should I do next? Try asking, What do I want to create next? Because there is a difference. What's next can keep you focused on the immediate problem. But what do I want to create shifts your focus toward possibility? And that shift, oh my goodness, can change everything. Oh yes, yes, yes. So, what does your ideal life actually look like? Let's get practical. If you're creating your next chapter intentionally, let's define what you're creating. Yeah. Imagine that someone gave you permission to design your life without worrying about what anyone else thinks. What would that look like? Where would you work? How would you spend your time? Who would be around you? What would your mornings look like? What would you have more time for? What would you no longer tolerate? What would you prioritize? What would success mean for you? Pause and think about those questions, guys. Don't censor the answers either. Because sometimes we have never actually stopped to ask ourselves what we want. We've been too busy doing what needs to be done. Yes. So sometimes we just need to slow it down. Yeah. Your values are the foundation of the life that you're creating. Okay? Your values should be the blueprint. Uh-huh. Yeah. If you value freedom, but your entire life is structured around obligations, something is out of order. Yeah. If you value family, but your schedule leaves no room for them, something needs to change. Yeah. If you value growth, but you're constantly staying in environments that keep you stagnant, something needs to be adjusted. Uh-huh. Yeah. And if you value peace, oh my goodness, but you're continually saying yes to things that drain you, something needs to drastically change. Yes, your values aren't just words. They should influence your decisions. They should shape your priorities. They should help you determine what gets your time, what gets your energy, and what gets your attention. Because the life you're creating should reflect what you say matters most. Yes, yes, yes. So be careful what you carry forward. Because transitions are not just about deciding where you're going, they're also about deciding what you're taking with you or who you're taking with you. And this is where I want you to pause. Yeah, pause because you cannot create something new while continually carrying everything from the old season. So maybe you need to leave behind the belief that you have to please everyone. The fear of disappointing people. The habit of overcommitting yourself. The need for external validation. Maybe you need to leave behind the belief that you're behind. Maybe you need to leave behind an identity that no longer fits or a definition of success that no longer serves you. Ask yourself, what belongs in my next chapter? And what doesn't? Hmm. Because everything that made it into your past doesn't automatically deserve a place in your future. Oh my goodness. And your choices are creating your life. Uh-huh. Yeah. So here's something I want you to think about as well. Your life is being created through your choices every day. Not just the big choices, the small ones too. What you say yes to, what you say no to, who you spend time with, what you believe about yourself, how you spend your mornings, how you use your time, whether you pursue the opportunity, whether you set the boundary, whether you take care of yourself, whether you keep learning, whether you finally take the step you've been talking yourself out of. Your future isn't created in one giant moment. It is created through repeated choices. Oh my goodness. So stop waiting for your life to begin. Yeah. Sometimes we treat our current season like a waiting room. But what if your life isn't waiting to begin? What if it's already happening? The moment. This moment, it matters. This season, it matters. You don't have to wait for everything to be perfect before you experience joy. You don't have to wait for everything to be figured out before you begin creating. Start where you are. Use what you have. Take the next step. You may not know exactly where your career is headed. You may not know what your business will become. You may not know what the next five years will look like. But you can still ask yourself what's the next right step for me? Hmm. Maybe it's updating your resume. Maybe it's having a difficult conversation with someone. Maybe it's applying for the position. Maybe it's going back to school. Maybe it's resting. Maybe it's finally starting the project. Maybe it's simply giving yourself permission to dream again. Oh my goodness. You don't need the entire roadmap. You just need the courage to take the next step. Yes. Yes. Create from who you are becoming. And here's the shift I want you to make. Don't just create your life based on who you've been. Create it based on who you've become. What do you want to become in this next season? What do you want to become in this next season? Do you want to become more confident? More courageous? More peaceful? More intentional. More visible. More fulfilled. More aligned. Whatever it is, begin making decisions that support that version of you. Your future self is shaped by the choices you're making today. Yes, yes. So I want to give you some exercise. A life, the life you're creating exercise. That's what this is. I want to give you a simple reflection exercise. Yeah, yeah. Take a moment and complete these statements. Complete these statements. In this next season, I want more. I want to make room. More room for my three top values are I want my work to feel. I want my relationships to feel. Think about those. Think about those reflection statements and complete them. Don't worry about making it sound good. Just be honest. Because you can't intentionally create a life you haven't taken the time to define. And I just want to go over those one more time. In this season, I want more what. I want less what. I am ready to release what. I want to make room, more room for what. My top three values are what, what, and what. I want my work to feel how. I want my relationships to feel how. I want my life to feel how. And finally, the life I am intentionally creating is what is that? What is that? Yeah. Yeah. When we talked about transitions in the last episode, we talked about the space between where you were and where you are going. Today, I want you to see that space differently. The transition isn't just something you're going through, it can be the place where you begin designing what comes next. You can take the lessons from the old chapter. You can honor what you've experienced. You can release what no longer serves you, and then you can begin creating, not from fear, not from comparison, not from obligation, but from clarity, intention, and purpose. Yes. Yes, yes, yes. As we close today's episode, I want to leave you with a few questions. Yes. Number one, what did my last season teach me? Number two, what am I no longer willing to carry forward? Number three, what matters most to me now? Number four, what does success look like in this new season? And number five, what is one choice I can make today that moves me closer to the life I want to create? Because here's what I want you to remember. Your next chapter doesn't have to be a repeat of your last one. You can choose differently, you can dream differently, you can live differently, you can redefine success, you can create new boundaries, you can pursue new possibilities, you can become someone you haven't been before. This transition may have changed your direction, uh-huh. And now is time to decide where you're going. Don't spend so much time wondering what happened to the life you thought you would have, that you miss the opportunity to create the life that is still possible and that is right in front of you. Your life is being written one choice at a time. So choose intentionally, live courageously, and create a life that reflects who you want to become. And remember, you don't have to have the whole path figured out. You just have to be willing to take the next right step. Yes, yes, yes. Well, until next time, guys, be encouraged, enlightened, and empowered. I am C-Rene McLean. Thank you for joining us today.

SPEAKER_00 21:47

Thank you for tuning in to the purpose and the pivot. If today's episode encouraged or inspired you, be sure to follow the show and share it with another woman who's navigating her own transition. For coaching support or to connect with C-Rene McLean directly, visit McLean Career and Life Coaching or schedule a consultation using the link in the show notes. Remember, your purpose evolves and you have permission to pivot. Until next time.