I’m Ready for Big Changes… How About You?

Deepak Chopra once said, “All great changes are preceded by chaos.” Whether true or not, I think we can all agree the past two years of the pandemic have been marked by chaos and change. I know I’m not the only one feeling the pangs of transformation as we navigate another year of uncertainty.

If you regularly follow my blog, you will probably notice a recurring?theme of self-reflection. Like many of you, I have been on a long and emotional journey since the pandemic began. Looking back now, it’s easier to recognize and accept the ways my life has been radically transformed, but in the early days it was much harder to see the forest for the trees. I remember intensely disliking the phrase “the new normal.” After all, how much could really change in only a few months? (Quite a lot, it turns out!)

As with any major disruption, the longer it continues the harder it becomes to “return to normal.” But as?I've recently shared, “normal” is no longer my end goal. The truth is I’ve changed. We’ve all changed! The entire world has been upended and flipped upside down. I don’t know about you, but after all this chaos I’m more than ready to embrace the new.

Say goodbye to the past and hello to the road ahead

In case you missed the news, I’m thrilled to announce I recently accepted a position as?Vice President and General Manager of Global Partner Sales at Intel. I’m beyond excited to kick off this new adventure helping our global partners grow and innovate over the coming years. As always, my focus will be on supporting our system integrators, cloud partners, and independent software vendors to deliver greater value and exceed expectations in the market.

Although I’m starting a new chapter of my career, I’ve had the privilege to work with an amazing group of people over the past six years. Anyone who follows my career will know my colleagues and teammates mean everything to me, and if I can say one thing to those who have walked this path with me, it’s THANK YOU!?

Thank you for the chance to serve you and innovate with you. We really did make more possible, together. And you can rest assured I will keep you in my heart as I prepare for what’s next.

Looking to the adventure ahead, I’m reminded of another quote, this time from Henri Bergson: “To exist is to change, to change is to mature, and to mature is to go on creating oneself endlessly.” Whether I was led to this point by chaos or self-creation (or both), I know this is where I’m supposed to be. What’s more, I’m excited for the person I’m evolving into, and for the new friends I will surely meet along the way.

The path of change is waiting… will you walk it?

The momentum of my career has always been rooted in my personal core values. Nearly a decade ago, I wrote down six of the core principles that guided my life at the time:?Authenticity, Integrity, Family, Teamwork, Impact, and Passion.?

Now that I’ve had time to reflect on my life, it’s nice to see that some things never change! I still live my life with authenticity and integrity, working with others to have the greatest positive impact. But the pandemic showed me there were areas I wasn’t prioritizing in my life as much as I wanted. I knew I needed to make more time for my family and reconnect with passions that had fallen to the wayside. I knew something in my life needed to shift.?

I’m confident some of you are walking that path, too. There’s no denying the pandemic has been a disruption of growth, and it has robbed many of us of our passion. We’ve all suffered losses, whether small or significant. And those losses – that chaos – has changed us.

Over the last twelve months, we have witnessed a global shift in our collective approach to work.?As Forbes points out, the roots of the “Great Resignation” are based in the “undeniable reality that work has gotten a demotion in the lives of workers everywhere.” In other words, it’s not that people don’t want to work, it’s that they want to pursue meaningful and fulfilling work that leads to better work-life harmony.?

It's clear I’m not the only one thinking about what matters most and what I want out of life. And I’m not alone in wanting to follow my heart, even if it leads to unexpected outcomes. If the Great Resignation is a sign of anything, it’s that it is time for something new. And I know I, for one, am ready. How about you?

What’s next?

Although the road ahead is a long one, I’m happy to be on this journey. And I’m ready to embrace the chaos with a healthier and more harmonious mindset!?

My call to action for you is simply this:?embrace change and be willing to be upended.

I encourage you to dig deep into your soul and find the passions that drive you, and don’t be afraid to follow them to new and exciting places. You never know where the road will take you when you’re brave enough to start.

I can’t wait to share the exciting opportunities ahead as I adapt to my new role, and I look forward to hearing about your big changes, too!?Leave a comment and tell me about the new paths you’re taking this year.

Until Next Time,

Alyssa Fitzpatrick