4 minute read
HER EDGE
CHANGE OF SEASON
The past two years are behind all of us. Who knows what is in front of us? After a long season of navigating uncertainty, I am hopeful something more beautiful will grow. Miraculously It always does.
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If you are reading this, you might be feeling like the new season cannot get here fast enough. I hear friends say they are feeling bored, stifled, or overlooked while sitting at their desk. They are constantly wondering, what is next.
Flexible schedules and working from home offers options considered unheard for most employees not that long ago.
Is that enough?
Women juggle home, kids, groceries, the dog, meals, laundry meetings, deadlines and then do it all over again the next day. We accept our hamster wheel and grumble about it to our girlfriends over wine and Bunco.
Now there is a new game, and the rules are changing if we want to play.
Being home gave us time to think about how we wanted us professional and personal life to work better. Balance became an option. Our pause from the normal allowed us to enjoy fresh air, walks with the dog, desserts, and binge worthy television without guilt.
The rat race slowed down, and it felt good. Now it is time to decide if we want to get back on track or try something new.
My ‘great resignation’ was not an epiphany. It was during the recession when employers had all the leverage. I thought if my head stayed down, my talent and experience would keep me
BY ROBIN DEWIND
“safe.” I was wrong.
My boss asked to leave, or take a significant pay cut and work nights which would have been difficult as a single parent with a young daughter. I left, and I felt lost. It had been thirty years since I had to look for a job and it was paralyzing. Months of applying for positions left me rejected by the corporate world and doubting my abilities. Fed up, I decided to create my own job. My dining room table became my office.
Working remotely was not so common when I started my business. It was lonely. Most days, l only needed my phone and the internet. I quickly learned that beyond sending an email, I was awful with the computer. I spent 8 weeks, every Wednesday night at the Brighton library taking a Word and Excel class for beginners.
It was embarrassing, until I realized it was liberating. It was my first step towards being a solopreneur. Taking a leap of faith is scary. It is easier to stay comfortable.
This is what I have learned.
You are prepared for change. When you reach a certain age, you have a resume of life experience. We managed college, career, marriage, divorce, children, menopause, loss, all while shouldering the load every day for the people we love. Our toolbox is full of accumulated hard lessons. As a result, women are resilient, qualified, compassionate, creative, and equipped to pivot. Comfort zones are okay, for a while. Do not let the voices in your head tell you, no. You have been preparing for this next shift your entire adult life. Women are natural connectors. As we get older, reconnection is essential. Talk to women who have made the jump from their desk to doing something they love. Reach out, have coffee, send an email. Isolation is over. Share your ideas about what you want your next life to look like. Your sisters are waiting to hear from you. My accountant friend left her job to start a business helping seniors with their finances. She realized her volunteer work with Meals on Wheels was more fulfilling. She met me for wine to talk about her decision to leave her job. She thought I would think she was crazy. Think again.
You are not too old! Do not let anyone tell you, you are getting too old to still be in the game. Societal norms push employees into retirement too soon. Even Tom Brady is changing his workplace by proving that you can still contribute at an elevated level beyond your “retirement” age. You can even change your mind after you retire. I was just shy of my fiftieth birthday, when I changed careers. I am thankful every day that I did not get any of the jobs I applied for. You can build something of your own
Admitting what you are good at takes effort and confidence. I knew I loved making videos and telling stories. It took time to figure out how I could monetize my skills in the business world.
There was no reinvention needed, just a redeployment of what I already knew. I promise, creativity, independence, and accomplishment will give your life new meaning. Money and success naturally follow. Freedom over structure is more important than a salary that strangles you.
