Career Challenge: Give yourself a minute to think

//Photo Courtesy: Happy Pancake Blogg//

Since embarking on this new career chapter I can confidently say one thing: I’ve never spent so much consistent time completely, and utterly, by myself. I think we don’t realize how distracting life can be when we get into a rhythm or pattern at work. Free time becomes fleeting, and “me time” is almost non-existent.

So you can imagine how jarring it is when that pattern is disrupted. For those of you who have lost your job, you know the feeling. One day work is the center of your universe, and the next, it couldn’t be further from your reality. Suddenly the responsibility, countless meetings, and project deadlines are all gone. And all you’re left with lots and lots of uninterrupted minutes to think.

The last few months have introduced many new opportunities and job possibilities, but mostly, they have provided me with hours alone with my thoughts.

I know what you’re thinking: Meredith? Alone in her thoughts all day everyday? Pretty scary.

Except that it wasn’t. 

I had time to ask myself poignant questions, like where did I really see my career going? What could my business look like if I dedicated all my time to it? Is my personal brand bullshit? Who am I as a professional? What am I best at? Should I write a blog? Should I call it Job Offers & Bad Boyfriends? 

The thoughts add up, and suddenly you have a new full time job.

THINKING is something I realized I took for granted. The ability to produce unique thoughts and ideas is powerful and freeing. So why on earth had I waited so long to make time to think?

Oh right, life got in the way.

If only it hadn’t taken losing my job three times to realize I’ve been denying myself time to think. So here’s my challenge to you hustling and bustling career babes out there.

Don’t be me.

Don’t wait till you’re backed up against a corner or signing HR termination paperwork to start thinking.

Give yourself a minute to think right now. Every day.

If I had taken just a few minutes every day over the last four years to think the way I’ve been thinking the last few months then I probably would have felt a lot more in control of my career a lot sooner. I’m not saying it would have prevented any career heartbreak, but I probably would have had a clearer direction of where I saw my career going.

So what does it mean to give yourself a minute to think?

It means you have to quiet your mind. It means you have to ask yourself hard questions. It means you have to be brutally honest with yourself, which means you may argue with yourself a little. Which is ok, it just means your thoughts are working even harder.

But mostly, it means you need to develop goals, think about them often, and hold yourself accountable. Believe me, goals become a lot more tangible when you put some good ol’ fashion thought behind them.

So what do you say, are you up for the challenge?

Just promise me one thing? You’ll think about it?