Shawn Murphy loves to paint. He is also in the midst of a life shift. He is giving up the security of his previous role, moving in to the unknown, and starting something new. In the process, he is brilliantly integrating work and life.

Until recently, Shawn was a principal consultant with Achieved Strategies, but now he is venturing out to devote his full time to his upcoming book and his role as founder and CEO of Switch and Shift. He says he made the change because he was ready for the next new challenge and he felt ‘my work here is done’. He had always put client needs first, but realized it was time to renew a sense of his own priorities.

Trust the Calling. More than anything, Shawn’s change is driven by his values. He thought consciously about what gave him the most meaning and purpose. Each day as he was waking up in the morning, he thought about what propelled him and what motivated him into the day, what called him to explore. He knows he’s working on purpose when his work brings him in – when it is so exciting that it pulls him into flow and he loses himself into the ‘stretch zone’. Feeling that pull helps Shawn to ‘trust the calling’ that he hears and move in new directions.

Work on the Big Rocks. Each year, Shawn focuses his effort by taking stock of the ‘big rocks’. For him, the ‘big rocks’ are the things that he wants to move and see throughout the year. They are the outcomes he wants to achieve for that year.

Roll with Roles. Shawn defines work-life integration as the ability to shift between roles. We’re called to be husbands, fathers, sons, friends, and selves and we need to flow between the roles depending on the priority. We achieve work-life integration when we’re able to move seamlessly between the roles.

Create. One of Shawn’s outlets is painting. While he says he won’t make a living as an artist, it is an important outlet for him. He knows he’s better at everything he does if he’s able to disconnect and honor his interests. He is gentle with himself. “You can’t work 18 hours a day and expect good things to come of it,” he says. When we take care of both our physical and psychological health, it is a source of freedom for our best selves. Painting helps Shawn to strengthen his creativity muscle and it energizes him. It puts him in a positive frame where he can be more present and better in all areas.

Be Human. Shawn works on the human side of business. His upcoming book is called ‘The Optimistic Workplace’ and is aimed at middle managers whom he says have a responsibility to create positive experiences for employees. Shawn is also a student of the Covey wisdom, ‘Seek first to understand’, which is about being open to others and helping contribute to others feeling understood and creating the conditions for optimism.

Envision. At the beginning of each year, Shawn creates a ‘vision board’ which includes his intentions for the year. It shows his plans, goals, and things he’s going after. He laminates it and keeps it in front of him. He checks in on it monthly and says it puts the ‘chaos in a container’. Each month he asks himself, “What did I do this month that was important to accomplishing my vision?” At the end of the year, even if Shawn didn’t achieve everything on the board, he knows it has motivated him and guided his efforts for the year.

One of the best lessons from Shawn: find things that make you curious and that make you laugh. “If I stop finding things funny, I’ve been in my head too long,” he says. Laughter is a symptom of happiness and when we’re happy, we know we’re working at our purpose.

Shawn spent last weekend as a mentor on a retreat for young leaders and he says that if he could give one piece of advice it would be to learn patience. Be open to the nuances that are more obvious by slowing down. It’s easy – especially when we’re young – to get worked up about where we’re going and about our future careers. But by slowing down we can get clear and focus on what’s really at the core of our own sense of meaning and purpose.

Painting is one way of slowing down, being present, and staying connected to his purpose. Paint on purpose. Work on purpose.

Would you like to tell your story? If so, let me know by emailing me at tbrower108@gmail.com. Why? One of the foundations of Bringing Work to Life is abundance: the idea that it is possible to find fulfillment, have it all, and avoid the trade-offs between work and life. After all, work and life aren’t separate things to be placed in containers, but part of an integrated whole of a satisfying life. Another foundation of Bringing Work to Life is the idea of multiple right answers. As we’re all seeking ways to bring work to life – and bring life to work – we can learn from each other’s unique solutions and stories. I’d love to learn about your story!

 Tracy Brower is the author of Bring Work to Life by Bringing Life to Work: A Guide for Leaders and Organizations.