Find your Clarity
Last night, the Austin Chapter of the Alliance for Technology and Women 
(I'm on the leadership team) held an event with Ann Daly, a life coach who focuses on women finding their "clarity."
A few of the women who came to the event were really in a work rut - they are bored, or are overworked and unhappy, or are wondering if they should try something new before it's too late -- even if that means leaving a cushy job and starting at the bottom again.
Ann suggested a path to start thinking about how to get out of the rut, figure out what you want to do with your life, and be able to find balance. ("Work-life balance is a myth. You can have it all, but usually not at the same time.") Her suggestions for figuring out what you want to do and where you want to go with your life seemed simple -- she admitted they were sort of "duh," but you still need to go through them.
While I was listening to the discussion, I did some self-examination. I was in a not-so-great situation two years ago, and making the decision to move to Texas was hard, but it was probably the best decision I've ever made. I love my job -- everything I learned in my past jobs (and, surprisingly, my MBA) nicely rolls into this one -- and I love living in Austin, and the fantastic new friends I've made here.
Ann has a book called Clarity, and is in the process of writing another. We also came up with some other book recommendations during the event:
Lions Don't Need to Roar, by D.A. Benton
Necessary Dreams, by Anna Fels
Getting Past No, by William Ury
Now, go forth and better yourselves. :)
(I'm on the leadership team) held an event with Ann Daly, a life coach who focuses on women finding their "clarity."A few of the women who came to the event were really in a work rut - they are bored, or are overworked and unhappy, or are wondering if they should try something new before it's too late -- even if that means leaving a cushy job and starting at the bottom again.
Ann suggested a path to start thinking about how to get out of the rut, figure out what you want to do with your life, and be able to find balance. ("Work-life balance is a myth. You can have it all, but usually not at the same time.") Her suggestions for figuring out what you want to do and where you want to go with your life seemed simple -- she admitted they were sort of "duh," but you still need to go through them.
- See the big picture. What do you want to do 5, 10, 20 years from now? What are your priorities? Visualize what you want to do, and what you need to do to get there.
- Think sequentially. What are the implications (for #1) of the decisions I'm making?
- Know when to say no, based on what you want for the future (see #1) . Women say yes far too often, and get over-committed, or even trampled. Work-life balance is about making hard decisions.
- Think of yourself as an investment. What am I willing to invest to get to where I want to be? Think about the price of each decision, and know your tolerance for risk.
While I was listening to the discussion, I did some self-examination. I was in a not-so-great situation two years ago, and making the decision to move to Texas was hard, but it was probably the best decision I've ever made. I love my job -- everything I learned in my past jobs (and, surprisingly, my MBA) nicely rolls into this one -- and I love living in Austin, and the fantastic new friends I've made here.
Ann has a book called Clarity, and is in the process of writing another. We also came up with some other book recommendations during the event:
Lions Don't Need to Roar, by D.A. Benton
Necessary Dreams, by Anna Fels
Getting Past No, by William Ury
Now, go forth and better yourselves. :)
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