I had to rearrange my commitment to this project last week due to last minute child care arrangements. As a result, no time has been clocked for this project since 3rd June. 

Instead, I spent a lot of time with Spencer and Luna - we went to the local zoo and spent time playing in the park and enjoying the warm weather.

There was not a single minute of resentment for not working on this project, which is a good sign for me (typically, resentment is what steals all joy for me). The result was that I was more present with the kids - knowing that I would be able to get back to this project when the timing was right.

This morning - Monday, 14th June 2021 - I sat down at my desk at 7am and worked through to 9:45am with a small break in the middle for some breakfast (Weetabix and a banana).

The only thing front of mind today was reminding myself about where I am in this project - I'm still very much in the research stage. I didn't even switch my laptop on - I just sat down and took out the book I've been studying.

These little notes from Ryan Holiday keep me right:

Back in February of this year I read Working Identity by Herminia Ibarra. I'm now going back through this book and indexing all the major points.

Conventional wisdom tells us that if we're not happy at work we simply need to sit down and figure out what we want to do, and then put what we know into finding the next step in our career. However, Ibarra's research tells a very different story. 

Here are three passages that will give you a feel for what the book is all about:

"We like to think that we can leap directly from a desire for change to a single decision that will complete our reinvention...as a result, we remain naive about the long, essential testing period when our actions transform (or fail to transform) fuzzy, undefined possibilities into concrete choice we can evaluate. This transition phase is indispensable because we do not give up a career path in which we have invested so much of ourselves unless we have a good sense of the alternatives."

"We learn who we are - in practice, not in theory - by testing reality, not by looking inside. We discover the true possibilities by doing - tying out new activities, reaching out to new groups, finding new role models, and reworking our story as we tell it to those around us"

"Our old identities, even when they are out of whack with our core values and fundamental preferences, remain entrenched because they are anchored in our daily activities, strong relationships, and life stories...in the same way, identities change in practice, as we start doing new things (crafting experiments), interacting with different people (shifting connections), and reinterpreting our life stories through the lens of the emerging possibilities (making sense)."

In short, career transformation is about 'trying on' (practicing) new possible identities, and eventually discarding what doesn't fit, and digging deeper into what does fit. I found a sense of peace knowing that this process can take several years.

Of course, the book I will be writing is all about working through the highs and lows of a career transition and managing a change in identity, so Ibarra's research speaks to me and I've taken a lot of inspiration from the stories in Working Identity. If you are mid-career, perhaps reaching 40, and in some type of professional service or knowledge work, you may also find this research helpful, especially if you feel like you are languishing in your work.

I'll be continuing with this project Thursday 17th June at the same time. 

Have a great week!