I’ve just returned from a trip to London and Singapore, hence why I’ve been a bit quiet on here the past couple of weeks.
Despite being jetlagged, I’ve returned from my trip buzzing with the things I’ve learned and ready to implement. Holidays are a wonderful time to take a break from our usual routine, rest and gain some perspective on what’s working and not working in our lives.
From this latest trip I reflected on how much I’ve had on my plate lately and how anxious that has made me. I spent some time getting re-aligned on what was most important to me and what I’d be focusing on in my day-to-day life. And last night I set up a shiny new Kanban board in Monday.com to help me get organised (follow this link if you want to find out what Kanban is). So wish me luck with that!
But being back in London also bought it all back about how miserable I used to be at work and how I would numb that misery by throwing myself into London life – socialising, nice dinners, shopping and holidays. Sounds nice but none of that was a substitute for what was really missing, having a job that I enjoyed.
When I finally quit my job in London, thirteen years ago now, I went on a round the world trip before landing in Australia. I took in some amazing sights, the Serengeti, Victoria Falls, Machu Picchu, Uluru but looking back I’m not sure that I really did ‘take in’ the wonderful things I was seeing because of the questions that were buzzing round in mind. And one of those was about my career and what I was going to do with the rest of my working life.
I was waiting for the lightning bolt of inspiration to hit me while I was on that trip and as time went on I got more and more desperate for it.
But it never did.
I think a lot of people go into holidays, especially big ones, with these lofty expectations that they will be the answer to everything. We’ve all heard those stories of busy executives who holiday in exotic locations, then quit everything to set up a fishing charter business or orphanage.
But those stories are the exception to the norm.
Instead, what tends to happen is that busy executives, or busy mums juggling the demands of kids with unsatisfying work, go on holiday expecting a career (or life) epiphany and they return from holiday, hopefully well rested and tanned, but in the same place that they were before.
Career epiphanies rarely happen – whether we’re on holiday or driving to work. Instead, we make good career decisions based on evidence.
Evidence about ourselves – what we like, what we value, what we’re good at, what our true desires and motivations are (granted holidays can be a good time to reflect on some of these things).
And evidence about the world around us – what jobs align with us, what’s happening in the world of work, what skills and experience are required.
When we marry the two together, we get options and a successful career change comes about when we find ways to test, or try out those options, before we decide.
Doesn’t sound very exciting, does it? And sounds a lot harder than looking out over the Serengeti and deciding to set up a school. But it works.
So, as you plan your end of year holiday see it for what it is. A chance to have a break, recuperate, read some good books (perhaps even a careers book), connect with family and friends and maybe reflect on who you are. But please don’t spend it on google researching career ideas. And don’t expect that the wonderful idea you have while you’re away will stick when you get home and return to normal life.
I plan to return to the Serengeti one day and I certainly won’t be thinking about work when I do!
If you’re ready to do the hard work that goes into changing career then download my 12 week-career change planner – I’ll even let you take it on holiday with you if you like 😊
Denny