Re/Turn to Work Workbook

A workbook for mothers returning to work

You are not going back.

You may be returning to work, but the woman walking in is not the one who walked out. Re/turn to Work helps you figure out who you are now, and what kind of work actually fits your life, before you touch your resume.

WHO IT’S FOR:

For the mother standing at the edge of her next chapter

You stepped away and want back in. It’s been a few months or a few years, and you’re not sure where you fit anymore, or whether the old job still fits you.

You’re on leave and the return date is coming. Maybe you’re dreading it. Maybe you’re craving it. Maybe both, on the same afternoon.

You never left, but your work stopped fitting. Nothing is obviously wrong. You’re still good at your job. You’ve just quietly outgrown it, and you don’t know what’s next.

You're capable. You're smart. You've done hard things before. And still, something about this season of life has you stalled. Not completely — you're still functioning, but not fully alive.

WHY IT’S DIFFERENT:

Most return-to-work advice starts with your resume. This starts with you.

A job search built on who you used to be will land you in a life that doesn’t fit. Motherhood didn’t pause your development. It was your development. It changed what you’re capable of and what you’re no longer willing to tolerate.

Re/turn to Work helps you sort through all of it: what stayed, what changed, what you’re ready to release, and what simply needs a little work. Then you build your next move on that.

WHAT’S INSIDE:

Six parts. One honest return.

1. Who I Was. Get an honest picture of the woman who worked before kids: what she was known for, what work gave her, and what you miss most.

2. Who I Am Now. Name what motherhood built in you, what it cost, and which needs it can’t meet. If you never left, there are pages here on the signs your work has stopped fitting.

3. The Sort. Put everything into four piles: Stayed, Changed, Released, and Needs Growth. Then map the skills that travel with you into whatever comes next.

4. Not Mine. Catch the “shoulds” you’ve been carrying, figure out whose voice they really are, and decide which ones to keep, return, or rewrite.

5. Work That Fits. Set your real terms (hours, pay floor, remote or in person) and explore three paths back: same, adjacent, or new. Then write the three-sentence story you’ll tell when someone asks about the gap.

6. First Moves. Find who’s in your corner, sort out what has to shift at home, run one small low-risk experiment, and leave with a 30-day plan and a 90-day redirection.

Plus: your Re/Turn statement, a tear-out page that puts everything you’ve learned into eight lines you can keep on your desk.

WHAT YOU’LL WALK AWAY WITH:

• A clear picture of what stayed true about you, and what’s changed

• Permission to let go of the version of success that was never really yours

• Your three non-negotiables for work, in specific terms you can actually negotiate

• A story about your time away that you believe, said without apologizing

• One small move a week for the next 30 days

Why you need this:

→ Identify the gaps keeping your stuck.

→ Push past the barriers blocking your path.

→ Name the roadblocks holding you back.

and work through them — one small shift at a time.

PERFECT FOR: women who know something has to change, but can't figure out what — or where to start.

HOW IT WORKS:

Re/turn to Work is a 25-page printable workbook. Each part takes about 30 minutes. Do one a day, one a week, or all six in a single stolen afternoon.

There are three ground rules. Write the true answer, not the impressive one. Messy counts. And if a question stings, stay with it a little longer, because that’s usually where the answer lives.