PLAY has been a keyword for me for a few years now...

But it's not always easy to stay playful while going through changes that can feel heavy and uncertain. 

So I was grateful to reconnect with this part of myself by taking on a new role that I never envisioned for myself...

Dungeon Master.

After speeding through Stranger Things, my stepdaughter became very enthusiastic about playing D&D, and with a stretch of 100°+ days while on vacation, it's been a great opportunity to give it a go. Through fits and starts, I am finding myself enjoying the role.

These are some of the most helpful applications I've noticed for life beyond gameplay, from career change to big moves, and transitions through relationship endings to navigating mental and physical health issues. 

1. Zoom out to see the bigger story.

Your perspective could be: "I'm with a bunch of strangers on a secluded island with zombies attacking us, nobody I trust, and warring dragons that might kill me." 

And yet, this would be equally true: "I've set out with a group of new friends on a magical quest to uncover mysteries, put an end to war, and care for the vulnerable." 

What version are you choosing to tell about your current challenges? 

Do you trust in your ultimate success, acknowledging that it may look different from what you initially expected? What might future you one year from now be excited to report back to you today?

And don't forget to look back and see how far you've already journeyed! 🏔️

2. Don't do it alone.

While battling a fire snake, our merry band of heroes realized that only two in our group had spellcasting abilities that could defeat the attacking creature, but others could use strength and healing to protect our wizard as she cast her spells.

You won't have every skill, experience, or ability to succeed - and that should be a relief! 

Rather than asking people to do stuff for you, you might consider this an opportunity instead to find a group of other people going through similar challenges like...

• The Purpose Career Lab for the social impact job seekers out there
• grief counseling groups
• online communities for people who are navigating the same life changes like when I first learned about my autoimmune disorder and met others online with Grave's Disease, and the local Brits Facebook group my in-laws have joined and learned a ton from while making their dream of living in the South of France a reality

3. Challenges are a necessary part of growth.

When the group of heroes was leisurely meandering around our home base and taking it easy, things got a bit boring (even with the many endearing and hilarious NPC performances I provided). But after saying yes to a potentially high-risk adventure, it also became high-reward, allowing them to level up, make new allies, gain boatloads of wealth, and collect powerful healing mushrooms. 

You might not be fighting any undead octopuses or fire snakes, but navigating the loss of a loved one, applying to 30 jobs without any acknowledgment of receipt, muddling through financial hardship, or healing from a bad breakup are tremendous and very human challenges. We never ask for these things, but we do grow through them - gaining resilience, new skills, the ability to better support others, and importantly, how to care for ourselves.

2 bonus learnings...

• keep a sense of humor and hold things lightly
• know when to take a break, drop your mask, and just be where you're at

Have you applied these game mechanics in your own life transitions? Share your stories with me using the subject line "Gamifying [life event]" at hello[at]juliafirestone.com for a chance to be featured in a future newsletter! 

ICYMI: If you're looking for a group of super supportive, highly collaborative, creative, and all-around wonderful people to support you through your job transition, I hope you'll take a moment to check out The Purpose Career Lab.

It's a 3-month career change accelerator/support group for people in social impact running September 21st-December 14th and I'm really excited about the new updates. 

Learn more and reserve one of 5 remaining spots (as of this blog post) here:

https://www.juliafirestonecoaching.com/purposecareerlab