Working With Intention

A friend and I were just talking about how the natural state for animals, including humans, seems to be happiness. So, where does fear come from? It's learned. For instance, little kids are comfortable doing all sorts of risky things - climbing, walking on the top of tall walls, etc. Until they a...

by Erica Mattison MPA JD — Jul 20, 2026 career get unstuck personal growth professional growth retreat

A Few Miles Can Shift Your Perspective

A client once told me he felt deeply in a rut. As we talked, something important surfaced: he hadn’t left Massachusetts in years. His days had become familiar. His surroundings had become familiar. His thoughts had become familiar too. That kind of sameness can be subtle at first, but over time, ...

by Erica Mattison — Jul 09, 2026 career get unstuck personal growth professional growth

How to Feel Free in Your Career When You Feel Stuck

A theme that comes up often in my work with coaching clients is the desire to feel more free in their careers and overall lives. Not reckless or irresponsible, just less trapped by old expectations, pressure, or a path that no longer fits. I've been there, too. Many thoughtful professionals reac...

by Erica Mattison — Jul 02, 2026 career career clarity career coaching career transition feeling stuck retreat

Why Expensive-to-Replace Employees Disengage Before They Resign

Some employees are difficult to replace because of what they know, how they think, and the relationships they hold across an organization. They understand the history behind decisions. They know how to get things done. They can translate between teams, anticipate risks, and keep work moving when ...

by Erica Mattison MPA JD — Jun 19, 2026 career

Boundaries for Sustainable Impact

Purpose-driven work can be meaningful, energizing, and deeply personal. The same commitment that makes your work matter can also make it hard to pause, set limits, or notice when your capacity is wearing thin. When you care deeply about your clients, team, students, patients, community, or missio...

by Erica Mattison MPA JD — Jun 15, 2026 career personal development

Looking at LinkedIn Profiles Like a Researcher

Have you ever found someone’s LinkedIn profile or professional bio and immediately felt intimidated? Maybe their title sounded impressive. Maybe their career seemed polished and clear. Maybe you started imagining how wonderful their life must be, how confident they must feel, or how far away you ...

by Erica Mattison MPA JD — Jun 11, 2026 career

Are “Shoulds” and Expectations Diminishing Your Quality of Life?

Sometimes the expectations come from other people. Sometimes they come from old versions of you. You “should” be married by now. You “should” have kids. You “should” be further along. You “should” have a more impressive-sounding title. You “should” have a “stable” job. You “should” feel gratefu...

by Erica Mattison MPA JD — Jun 08, 2026 career personal growth

What Gardening Taught Me About Being Too Tough on Myself

Are you being too tough on yourself? I have been asking myself that question as I work on setting up my garden. For a while, I focused on what had not happened yet. The layout was not clear. The fence was still in progress. Other people seemed to have beautiful, productive gardens already, and I ...

by Erica Mattison MPA JD — Jun 04, 2026 career leadership

A Simple Framework for Clearer Career and Leadership Communication

As a law student, I learned the IRAC method. IRAC is a structured legal analysis method that stands for Issue, Rule, Application, and Conclusion. It is used to organize reasoning and communicate legal arguments clearly. That may sound specific to the legal field, but the framework can be useful i...

by Erica Mattison — Jun 01, 2026 career communication leadership

When Time Management Challenges Reveal Opportunities to Improve Team Workflow

When a capable staff member seems stretched, it is easy to assume they need stronger time management. Sometimes that is part of it. But often, what looks like a time management challenge is also an opportunity to improve workflow, prioritization, communication, and the systems surrounding the wor...

by Erica Mattison — May 07, 2026 career clarity executive coaching leadership development professional development team development

How to Make More Room for What Matters

I was recently supporting a client who has a lot going on right now. Work is especially busy. They have several trips coming up, both personal and professional. They also recently started a passion project that matters to them and is taking up a meaningful amount of time. They were feeling scatte...

by Erica Mattison — Apr 23, 2026 career clarity leadership development life transitions meaningful work professional development

How to Make a Job Search Feel More Sustainable

Job searching can be exhausting. Even when you are doing all the “right” things, the process can still feel uncertain, discouraging, and hard to sustain over time. That is one reason I keep returning to this reminder: a job search does not only need to be effective. It also needs to be sustainabl...

by Erica Mattison — Apr 09, 2026 career clarity career development career transitions job search meaningful work professional development

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Working With Intention