Are you returning to work after a career break?
Started a totally new role?
Gone back to working for someone else?
I am regularly having conversations with people facing the challenges of change in work. Many, mostly but by no means only women, find themselves juggling not just the day to day working pressures but also the responsibility to managing a household of children, pets and partners. The balance can if you are not careful mean we are constantly in ‘overwhelm’.
Im sure you are all aware of the damages of overwhelm where the logical decision part of the brain goes into stress mode so even basic thinking becomes difficult. So we need to find strategies to avoid this.
What I have found working, working with others and listening to the wider community that we all need to look our own lives / context and create strategies that suit us best. Or as my dad would say ‘dont keep up with the Jones’ (for all those Jones’ out there it is a complement).
So what does that mean?
Pinpoint your starting position and then being a deliberate but agile journey.
I hope the following will help you keep on track.
How to get started?
- Take a step back and establish the reason for returning to work (ideally have this conversation and or thought prior to starting and not just money) or ask yourself what are you gaining for your new style of work?
- What is your picture of success?
- What are your strengths?
- Draw a circle and segments for each elements of your life e.g. work, children, domestic chores, health and fitness, voluntary work, learning
- For each of your segments list on a scale of 1–10 put a number in each section as to how it corresponds with your picture of success
- Identify which of your strengths you are using in each segment.
- Where you have strength gaps identify who else could help or do this for you. For example teenage children are capable to help at home, a cleaner may help, getting a new hire at work (budget permitting), being clear about the boundaries at work and home with the people around you.
- Decide a date when you will start your plan and get some help with a friend / partner to help you keep on track.
- Keeping things simple is key. You wont achieve it all at once and immediately so pick one thing start it and get that sorted and then move on. ‘Sorted’ may mean review and look at it from a different direction after 2 weeks. Things will evolve and utilising technology may help.
These are just starting points and whether you are leading a multimillion pound global business or working at the local sweet shop we all have very similar challenges and opportunities.
One way I have personally found useful is by having a separate conversation with someone who I know will challenge me rather than reinforce where I am.
It would be great to hear your stories about the strategies you have put in place.
Lizzie simplifies success through conversations and workshops. Its her passion to support people make exponential shift to allow them meet and enjoy their route to success.
