Taking a break - my version of stillness

After 20 years of corporate life, I recently had the opportunity to have 6 weeks off between jobs. What an amazing way to clear the mind, connect with my family and enjoy some stress free time.

After 8 years at ThoughtWorks I decided I needed some space before starting with my new employer, Wizeline. While it was very exciting for me, and exactly what I wanted to do next, I knew the new role would be challenging, working hard to establish and grow Wizeline in Australia. To give it my best, I needed a break.

As my time at ThoughtWorks was coming to an end, I was talking to a(n amazing) former colleague about what I was going to do with the time. I reflected to her that while I was looking forward to being "still", I am kind of like the urban legend of a shark - I have to keep moving, nearly as a survival imperative. She said how much she enjoyed being "still" on her recent 3 month sabbatical and "walking the kids to school, doing yoga and reading".

In order to work out what I was going to do with the time, I set about making a plan for the next six weeks - not day by day so much, more things I wanted to focus on or get done. I wrote these things down in a fairly unstructured form. For example:

• Double down on fitness
• Learn something (a language)?
• Sort out [x, y x home improvement items]

I also made a list of people I wanted to speak to or see in person.

Ironically, the plan really helped me to relax into it quickly, as I had a sense of direction.

My version of stillness, it turns out, was to do more and different types of exercise, finish some home DIY projects, going to the beach (it was an unseasonably warm May and June in Sydney this year), and connecting with people that I wanted to spend time with but rarely found the space, including my own parents and siblings who live a long way from me.

This is a photo of a roast lamb cooked over the fire by my Dad.

[Of my list of people to connect with, I got less than 20% of the way through - but I plan to make up for that in the coming months.]

It was a glorious time, made all the better in the last two weeks of my time off when our childcare situation temporarily changed and I got to "walk the kids (and dog) to and from school, do some exercise and read".

Those 6 weeks were a grand privilege (in all senses of the word), and it allowed me to clear my mind, reset from an intense 8 years at ThoughtWorks and do some unstructured thinking about the time ahead. I took regular notes when thoughts occurred to me, and then let them go. I also experienced some moments of joy - such as seeing this double rainbow at the top of North Head after running up there in the rain (photo below), and doing handstands with my kids on the beach after school (no photos of that!).

My first week back at work was actually in Mexico, and it really bookended the time off well. I am off and running, and look out Australia, here comes Wizeline!