Tending Your Mind

Whether you raise children or manage an office staff, getting to everyone’s desire is a knight’s errand. Do they want chocolate chip ice cream or strawberry; and who’s allergic to strawberries; or chocolate for that matter? Be still and distill. 

I found myself recently speaking with another recruiting firm about the possibility of leaving what I was doing to sign on with them; in a completely unrelated field. The chance at something new and exciting always stokes the embers of “what if”. My personal life’s professional patina had recently fashioned a refinish and so big changes still wafted about the air.

At the conversation’s conclusion the seminal question popped up in one of those newspaper print cartoon dialogue balloons: What do you really want? The strangest thing happened when posed; I stalled; well internally stumbled. Outwardly I was the very picture of confidence; one who knew they were signing on the bottom line. But it wasn’t true; I wasn’t certain; I didn’t know.

Periods of doubt are a part of life; with certainty surfacing in unsuspecting moments; showering or taking out the garbage—I would have cited diaper changes but those years are thankfully over. If you can, take the time to be right with yourself before committing to the next professional move. Remember, it’s not just your career, but also someone’s company and a slew of new coworkers counting on you. If you’re part of an “us”, and must make a move, ready-or-not, then go knowing this—so that you will do your best; if not for yourself then for your team at home and new corporate family.