Humanitarian cultures often celebrate endurance and sacrifice, framing dedication as a virtue. Although whether to keep health information private or not is a personal choice, the surrounding environment can also create unspoken pressure to keep going. Some of your colleagues, who seemingly are healthy, may be living with serious illnesses, coping with medical treatments, while also facing demands from work and other commitments. You or your family may be one of them.
How can we balance the present needs (medical, physical, emotional, etc.) and long-term professional goals during illness?
1. What do you still have control over?
Life sometimes presents us with unexpected challenges. When we face a serious illness, we often feel we have no control over the situation. But does it always have to be this way? Even though we may not be able to change the fact that we have a serious illness, we can choose to make an informed decision. We can ask doctors as many questions as we need to understand how the treatment would affect our quality of life and to learn about all possible treatment options. Having a sense of control, being a partner with doctors, and being involved in decisions about our treatment are extremely important.
For many of us, there are necessary changes to our lifestyles, whether or not we live with illness. The illness may be a wake-up call, telling us we cannot continue with the same lifestyle. We can make a positive change in our habits, and that is something we have control over. For example, by preparing healthy meals, you may feel you are doing something really good for your body. If you are a busy professional, you may not have dedicated much time and attention to your health and well-being. Through treatment and follow-up, you may now have a better understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of your overall health and can take more focused approaches to nutrition, exercise, and other areas.
While there may be circumstances in which we have no control, in many cases we have a choice about how we act, even in some extreme situations. We may not have control over how illness and treatment make us feel physically, but we still have control over how we make sense of it and, moreover, who we want to be in this journey.
2. What makes your life worth living?
Life transitions (such as illness and other significant life challenges) bring new perspectives, new priorities, and a new sense of self. We learn a lot about ourselves and others, and we see the world through different lenses. So, what is really important for you now? What do you deeply care about?
Ikigai ("a reason for being") is a Japanese concept that is also known internationally nowadays. It is a concept that is difficult to define or translate into English, but it refers to what gives a person a sense of purpose and meaning in life. Some people also explain it as a "reason for getting up in the morning" or "what makes our life worth living". Ikigai is not always related to work. Ikigai can be something very simple, like being able to see our family, seeing our children grow, taking care of our beloved pet, or engaging in hobbies or leisure activities we love. And yes, some people say their work is their Ikigai. What we consider our Ikigai can change over time. For example, when we are young, some of us may consider our work as our Ikigai, but after having a child, we may see our child grow as our Ikigai.
Life is not all about work. Understanding "what will keep us going," "reason for getting up in the morning", or "what makes our life worth living", or whatever we call it… is important. And also help us be resilient while we go through life's journey.
3. Balancing the present needs and long-term professional goals
For some illnesses, treatment, recovery, and healing are long-term processes that require years of follow-up. You may find it difficult to set longer-term objectives, not knowing how you might come out of each treatment. I certainly struggled. During cancer treatment, I felt the importance of living fully in the moment, but I still wanted to feel a sense of contribution through my work in the long term. This was a delicate balancing act. I regularly checked in on how I was progressing toward my goals and, at the same time, was still in touch with the present moment. I gradually shifted my focus from future achievements to enjoying the process “here and now” in everything I do.
On the work front, you may need to be extremely patient with yourself, one day at a time, focusing on one goal at a time. Even with this, you may feel you do not have enough time each day. If feasible, try to choose which project to take on more carefully to maximize life satisfaction and focus on what is really important. You may need to say "no" more often to different opportunities to be able to say "yes" to what is really meaningful and important. Prioritizing requires courage. At times, you may need to be brutally honest with yourself to prioritize and make decisions.
We do not necessarily accomplish “less” by prioritizing. Rather, we accomplish more in different areas of our lives where we may have previously neglected and what is really important. Ill or healthy, we all have only 24 hours/day. We have a choice where we focus our attention. Keeping things simple and living with more focused intentions brings us a greater sense of satisfaction.
Each person’s journey is unique. There’s no one “right” balance for everyone. So, for you, what is really meaningful and important “here and now” and long-term? You have the power to build your life and career around what matters to you most.
What's next?
As a coach, I partner with my clients to engage in reflective conversations. It can be a helpful process for people in various life transitions, where there's no single "right" answer for everyone, as each person's journey is unique.
Please note, coaching is not a replacement for medicine, diagnosis, or treatment of any mental or physical health condition. My coaching services are designed to support you in achieving personal and professional goals and developing strategies for growth and wellness. This work is distinctly different from the practice of medicine, psychiatry, or psychotherapy.
How can we get started?
I provide career coaching through the Coaching Package for Transitioning Professionals, the Coaching Package for Professional Development, and the Job Search Strategy Session.
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