The development and launching of this new, holistic Web site for my independent work, blogging and social media outlets were birthed during a season of taking a deeper look inward at what I truly want—and how I might be successful in achieving my goals.
This platform is a digital representation of my own desire for congruence, to see less compartmentalization and more harmony between my vocation and spiritual life, between my family’s heartfelt needs and my own needs and passions as a professional individual. Some great friends helped me along the way with questions that prodded key insights and epiphanies.
I learned that before I could think specifically and holistically about whom I am called to serve through my writing, coaching and speaking efforts, I first had to become very clear about my own concrete goals. What do I want, anyway? And furthermore, these goals had to be intricately tied to my family’s goals, for my top priority in life is and must be the quality of our interactions together in the De Marco household.
From this, I came to discern that I have one primary goal, expressed in three particular aspects. My goal is to co-create in my family life an evolving context of:
- Peace and health
- Quality, flexible time with powerful memories
- Ongoing spiritual, intellectual and emotional growth
“How” to achieve such a three-pronged goal became the next area of brainstorming. In business, goals are always the “what” you want and high-level strategies are always the “how in general” you plan to get what you want. As I reflected and looked at the big picture, I determined there were five high-level strategies for my life and work that are paramount in this particular season:
- Continue daily routine of healthy eating, rigorous exercise and quality rest.
- Continue supporting my wife Jenna’s completion of her master’s degree while working at a job that leverages and deepens my strengths.
- Write and read as much as possible each day in subjects and formats that intrigue me.
- Continue to identify whom I am called to serve and how, through my vocational strengths and passions.
- Continue to network and market for independent work, credentials and relationships.
This John Michael De Marco site is particularly about those last two strategies. Gaining greater clarity on whom I am called to serve was crucial before launching the site, and this clarity was not so much a brand-new idea as paying attention to those with whom I’ve especially related—and fine-tuning my approach to such individuals. This also required a great deal of looking inside and noting how I have continued to grow through a constant stream of reading, working and forming new relationships.
The key person whom I am called to serve through my writing, coaching and speaking vocation? In a nutshell, the critically-thinking professional seeking deeper fulfillment—spiritually, relationally, intellectually and emotionally.
My hunch is, if you are still reading this, that you are one of those critically-thinking professionals. And you have certain heartfelt desires, typical challenges and concrete needs that must be navigated as you pursue that sense of deeper fulfillment. Perhaps you are a leader of an organization or a group of people, and want to provide a context in which others obtain this deeper fulfillment as well in a manner that helps your entity achieve its goals. I am called to serve you through my writing, coaching or speaking.
From my perspective, the heartfelt desires of the critically-thinking professional include a congruent synthesis of life’s key “compartments”: health, family, vocation, recreation, spirituality, hobbies. This elicits a feeling of authenticity when relating to others, with no more need to wear a guise. From here life becomes more purposeful, making a significant difference as you feel challenged in a thrilling manner. A mindset of no significant regrets then begins to emerge, and the cumulative impact of all of these desires is the freedom to be fully present, engaged and conscious in every moment. To make every moment count.
What typical challenges does this individual face? At the root is the stress of producing and maintaining to ensure a certain quality of life or basic survival. This results in a ubiquitous time deficit for reflecting, planning and acting in an intentional manner that addresses the heartfelt desires stated above. This person’s stress is compounded by a pervasive institutionalization: when corporations, religious entities, governmental agencies, educational institutions, neighborhoods and expected social norms perpetuate themselves through incessant expectations, rule-enforcement and marketing, often disregarding heartfelt desires and solidifying the “compartments,” with a resulting dynamic of negative peer pressure and alienation. The lingering effect of all of this is confusion and inconsistent decision-making, which leads to lingering dissatisfaction in life and work and diminishes the quality of our relationships.
And finally, what are this person’s concrete needs? How specifically can he or she overcome these challenges and actualize those heartfelt desires?
From my perspective, a chief need is meaningful, authentic relationships with fellow seekers that provide regular encouragement, feedback and outlets for expression. An important complement of this is professional, sometimes interactive content, resources and networking structures beyond the institutionalized norm, the kind that are of a quality that elicits more critical thinking and epiphanies while opening doors for professional and personal advancement. And a third concrete need is coaching and training that equips the insights and skills necessary for behavioral changes that can lead to the obtainment of these heartfelt desires.
In the weeks and months to come I will be blogging more in depth on each of these areas of desires, challenges and needs, and look forward to interaction, dialogue and service with each of you who might resonate with my particular perspective. Please feel free to get in touch with me through the contact form on this Web site, or simply by emailing me at
john@johnmichaeldemarco.com.
Thank you for your time and consideration if you have read this far!