Taking Time Out
"Moving on in a career can be about being in over your head,
taking on more than you can do, and trying to please everybody.
I achieved what I had set out to do, and that's where I started
to lose track. With the energy that you have in your twenties,
you're just fearless. At some point, some things start to slip
away." These are the words of Mary Lou Quinlan, quoted in a
recent issue of Fast Company, whose career-moved from
being the CEO of an advertising firm to starting her own firm.
She explains that the pivotal action that allowed her to make
this decision was that she took some serious time off from her
job: she devised a 5-week leave of absence. "It was the greatest
thing I've ever done in my life." At the end of the 5 weeks, she
made a list of all the things she loved to do and was good at.
And she made a second list of all the things she hated doing
that she was not good at. The latter list looked a lot like her
job. The former list became the vision for her business. Her
advice: "Ask yourself: Am I happy? You have the right to ask
that question -- and then do something about it." I completely
agree.
For many people, TAKING TIME OUT is the only way to get
perspective on how they're navigating their life and what course
corrections are called for. For some, the time-out needs to be a
5-week leave. For others it can be a weekend disconnected from
email and cell phone. And for others it can be a weekly coaching
conversation, were the relationship facilitates enough
"altitude" from daily concerns to allow for some strategic
decisions to be made and implemented.
If you need time off the treadmill but can't seem to take it,
figure out what kind of support you need, and get it for
yourself. It's that important.
If you're considering hiring a coach to help you with challenges
like these, contact me at sharon@stcoach.com for an initial
consultation at no charge. . Copyright 2003, Sharon Teitelbaum.
All rights reserved.