I wish I’d realised earlier that it’s OK to change your mind, change your direction, and to make mistakes. Nothing is forever, and fear of making mistakes or of being behind can stop us from being who we want to be.
Today’s thought: Taking a career break was the scariest thing that I ever did. Stepping away from a role as a partner in a global law firm, with no real plan, other than I knew that there was something else in me.
It was important for other reasons too – my family needed me more than my clients did, and my health was taking a turn for the worse (even though I was in complete denial over that).
I was expecting people to look at me like I was crazy. What if I didn’t get another job? What if things didn’t work out? But I was so surprised when actually that wasn’t the narrative. Instead they seemed to be able to see more in me than I did. They congratulated me. They told me I was brave, and it was scary, but they knew I could do it.
I wasn’t so sure. But I did know that if I couldn’t, there were options. I was in a incredibly privileged position of being able to give it some time. And I’ve never been happier.
Now, does my external success rank up there with where I was? No way. But I feel like I’m where I should be. And I still have all of my knowledge and experience, so if I need to reverse direction, I can – and maybe someday that’s exactly what I’ll do.
But for now I’m taking one day at a time. Because nothing is forever, so I’m never behind.
Today’s nudge: Try one small thing you’ve been putting off because you’re worried it won’t work.
Change your morning routine. Reach out to someone. Start that project. Say no to something. Rearrange your workspace.
Whatever it is.
Because here’s the truth: if it doesn’t work, you can just… stop. Change it. Try something different.
You’re not committing to forever. You’re just testing today.
And if you didn’t do it today? There’s always tomorrow.
Today’s Prompt: What’s one thing I’ve been avoiding because I’m treating it like a permanent decision? What would happen if I treated it like an experiment instead?