This article is part of a seven-part series inspired by What Color Is Your Parachute?, Richard Bolles’ classic guide to finding work that fits who you are. In his “Flower Exercise”, each petal represents one element of a fulfilling career: the skills you love using, the people you work best with, the environment that helps you thrive, your values, interests, geography and preferred level of responsibility. You can start anywhere or follow the series as each article stands alone, but together they form a single flower.
The sixth petal of the Flower Exercise explores geography, though not only in the physical sense. It is about the environments, cultures and communities where you feel most comfortable. Geography can mean a specific place, but it can also refer to a sense of belonging or the rhythm of life that suits you best.
Bolles encouraged readers to think about where they naturally thrive. Some people come alive in the energy of a big city, while others do their best thinking surrounded by nature or in small, close-knit communities. The question is not where opportunity exists, but where you can flourish.
Finding the Places That Fit
For me, geography has never been about maps or postcodes. It is about culture, permission and how much of myself I need to calibrate in order to belong. I have learned to read rooms quickly and understand what signals belonging in each one. In the early part of my career, fitting in was a marker of success. The organisation was taking a chance on me, and I wanted to prove that they were right to do so. I paid attention to learn how things were done, how people spoke, how decisions were made and what was left unsaid. I saw it as professional skill, not compromise. Over time, I realised that fitting in is a kind of achievement while belonging is something deeper and geography changed shape again.
It was no longer about where I could work, but about which environments could hold the reality of my life. A full-time hospital schedule or corporate routine no longer fit the map I was living. I didn’t have local grandparents for support. I had medical appointments, sick days and school pickups that didn’t fit neatly between meetings. I tried to stay adaptable, but the truth was, I couldn’t be everything to everyone anymore. I stopped asking myself how to belong and started asking where it was possible to hold more parts of me.
That question has followed me. It has changed how I define the right place to work and the kind of people I want to work with. Geography, is now about the systems and cultures that make it possible to bring my life with me, not bury it. The best environments recognise that people live whole lives outside their job titles. They don’t ask you to shrink to fit; they expand to meet you.
If you mapped the places where you have worked or lived, which ones felt expansive and which ones felt small? What made the difference: the work itself, the people, or the permission to be yourself? When have you outgrown an environment that once felt right? What signals told you it was time to move on, and what kind of soil do you need to grow in now?
Geography in the Modern World
When Richard Bolles first wrote about this petal, geography meant location: where you lived, how far you were willing to commute and which opportunities were within reach. Today, it has a much wider meaning. The digital era has redrawn the map of work. Technology has blurred borders and created opportunities to contribute from almost anywhere, yet the experience of that flexibility depends heavily on where you are.
According to the International Labour Organization, the capacity to work from home differs widely across regions. High-income countries in Europe and North America have greater access to digital infrastructure, while many lower- and middle-income countries still lack the conditions that make remote work feasible. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development reports that even within Europe, local economies and commuting patterns influence who benefits most from remote or hybrid roles. Geography, it seems, still shapes opportunity, only now through technology rather than proximity.
Work preferences are also shifting. Gallup’s global data show that most employees now prefer hybrid arrangements that combine home and office time, valuing flexibility and well-being over visibility. In contrast, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that while remote work has stabilised at higher levels than before the pandemic, regional expectations remain distinct. Across Europe, workers consistently prioritise balance and predictable hours, whereas in the United States, longer hours and fewer breaks remain common. In many parts of Asia, traditional hierarchies and social norms continue to limit flexible options despite growing demand from younger workforces.
For individuals, these differences matter. They shape how careers develop, what trade-offs are possible and which support systems are required to thrive. The same role can feel entirely different depending on whether it exists in Dublin, Dubai or Delhi. Geography now means understanding not only where the work is, but what the surrounding culture expects of you and what it gives in return.
What expectations come with the places or cultures where you have worked? What have you needed to carry with you, and what have you had to leave behind, to belong or to thrive in a new context?
A Question for Reflection
Think back to places where you have lived or worked. Which ones made you feel grounded and energised? Which ones left you restless or disconnected? Write down what made each experience different. You may notice patterns in the pace, communication style or community spirit that suits you.
Where do you feel most at ease, most yourself and most capable of doing good work? What is it about that environment that allows you to thrive?
Petal 6 reminds us that geography is more than a location. It is the mix of culture, rhythm and expectation that shapes how we live and work. Understanding your own geography means recognising the conditions that let you bring your full self into the world and do your best work there.
References:
International Labour Organization. Working from home: From invisibility to decent work. Geneva: ILO; 2020. Available from: https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/-/ed_protect/-/protrav/documents/publication/wcms_765896.pdf
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Luca D, Özgüzel C. The new geography of remote jobs? Evidence from Europe. Paris: OECD Publishing; 2023 Nov. Available from: https://www.oecd.org/publications/the-new-geography-of-remote-jobs-evidence-from-europe_8d989f6-en.pdf
S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Productivity and remote work. Washington (DC): BLS; 2024. Available from: https://www.bls.gov/productivity/notices/2024/productivity-and-remote-work.htm
Gallup Inc. Global Indicator: Hybrid Work. Washington (DC): Gallup; 2024. Available from: https://www.gallup.com/401384/indicator-hybrid-work.aspx