School’s out for my boys today, and I imagine for quite a few of you too. That might mean the joy of a lack of routine coming up, or a feeling of dread as arrangements change on a daily or weekly basis. For some it will mean the excitement of impending holidays, for others the relief of a quieter time at work while colleagues take their time out, and for others still, a busy period as quarter ends and financial year ends loom and there’s an urgency to deliver despite key people being in and out of the business.
There can be a feeling, sometimes self-imposed, sometimes prompted by people around us, that the summer should be the time when we take stock and think about how we might move forward differently when everything gets back to more of a steady state in September.
Only last week I posted seven career check-in questions, so I confess to playing my part in that. While I’d argue that thinking strategically about our careers is rarely a bad thing to invest time into, what I didn’t say at the time is that timing matters. Taking stock while you’re still exhausted from the run-up to the summer probably isn’t strategic thinking, and if we’re not careful it can be another thing on the to-do list, adding to the feeling of guilt around all those things we ‘should’ be doing but aren’t managing to fit in. If we try when we’re in the wrong frame of mind, it risks producing tired, unoriginal or even panicked conclusions that may not stand the test of time.
Whatever your summer looks like, the break in routine perhaps has one job before it has any other, which is to give you a chance to stop, or at least change gear. In my coaching work, the clients I meet are rarely short of insight about their careers. What they’re short of is a rested brain to have the insight with, see those bigger patterns, and set a path forward that feels both energising and achievable. The truth is that none of us can think clearly about where we’re heading while we’re still in the state that made us feel in need of a break in the first place.
What may emerge on its own
What I’ve noticed is that, as well as the rest and recovery, taking a proper break can often do something else as well.
Once we stop trying to work everything out, some of it starts working itself out anyway. It’s a bit like muddy water – the more we keep stirring it, the cloudier it becomes. Leave it alone for a while though and it will likely settle a bit, making it much easier to see what was there all along.
Rather than trying to answer a set of career questions, perhaps the most useful thing is simply to notice what starts coming into your mind. Once things have settled a little, you may find yourself wondering things like:
◆ Which conversations, ideas or pieces of work have I found myself thinking about?
◆ What am I looking forward to getting back to?
◆ What am I dreading getting back to?
◆ Who am I looking forward to catching up with? Who am I not?
◆ Has the distance changed how I see what felt so urgent before I left?
◆ When I think ahead to September, what’s the feeling that comes first?
Then what?
Perhaps nothing particularly interesting comes of those questions at all, or perhaps one of them keeps coming back to you over the weeks that follow. You find yourself seeing something a little differently, or realising that something you’ve been putting down to a busy period is actually part of a much bigger pattern.
If that happens, that’s probably the signal that it’s worth spending a bit more time thinking it through properly. My article Finding Time for Your Career When Life Never Seems to Slow Down explores some practical ways to create that thinking space when work and life are already full.
From there, the next step will be different for everyone. It might mean making a few changes where you are or in how you’re approaching things. It might mean exploring a new direction altogether because the current situation isn’t likely to change much, or it might simply leave you with a much clearer understanding of what’s important to you and why, and where you want to go next.
What’s the one thing you’re most looking forward to switching off from this summer?
You might also find this article helpful:
Lifting Your Gaze – Why Strategic Career Thinking Shouldn’t Wait – why regularly stepping back to consider where your career is heading can help you make more intentional choices before circumstances force the issue.
If, once you’re back and rested, you’d like to think through what’s next in a calm, confidential space, that’s exactly what I’m here for. You can book a free call here or just send me a message.