This spring, you may have noticed, I haven't been as consistent about writing and publishing blog posts as I normally am.
Honestly, I've been preoccupied with other things, have been involved in some real self-introspection, and have been taking some time to nurture and renew my energy and spirit. In part it may be because I'm turning 40 this summer (those birthdays with a "0" at the end of them have a funny way of making us reflect on our lives thus far). But, I think it has far more to do with my daughter (an only child) moving out recently to live in an apartment closer to the university where she just finished her freshman year as a commuter student. Finding myself with an "empty nest" at not-quite-40 has been the cause of some real reflection about where I am in my life and where I want to go next.
When I leave the office at night, I've been spending time in my small kitchen garden (a hobby that I've always enjoyed), in my backyard swing catching up on books I've been meaning to read, and sometimes just staring into space envisioning what I want to accomplish and the contributions I want to make in the next 40 years. Many people prefer to spend time with others when they are going through important transitions. As you can tell, my more introverted side comes out and I prefer to carve out "alone time" for myself.
The questions that I've been asking of myself and answering aren't all that different from that questions that you, my readers, deal with in your careers. What has become very clear to me over the past few months is that I have choices to make as I learn to deal with this transition in my life and as I form the vision for my future. Rather than feeling sad about my empty nest, I've consciously chosen to think about how proud I am of my daughter and how excited I am about the options I have for my future. In developing my vision of the future, I have consciously chosen to think from the end and to dismiss the negative thoughts and excuses that tell me "that" goal is out of my reach. I told you I had been really reflective lately! :-)
Sadly, I've talked to many potential clients recently who are struggling in their job searches and are quickly becoming disheartened. Today, I spent my lunch hour outside watering my gardening. That is a pretty idle activity and gives you plenty of time to think! I sincerely care about the challenges my clients come to me with, and I was using this time to think about what I could say and how I could coach a client who is feeling a bit frustrated now that her job search has entered the second month. And, I was thinking about the process that I've been going through over the past few weeks. That was my inspiration for the article I'll be publishing tomorrow. I hope you enjoy it and find it helpful in your career and your life.
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