Tackling a big goal in one aspect of your life can unlock meaningful, unexpected changes in others. This is especially true in midlife, when we are juggling so many interconnected and demanding parts of our crazy, busy lives.
I have a client named Brian (not his real name). He’s in his mid-40s and has a big, creative job at a retail company we all know. Brian reached out to me at a time when he was feeling wrung-out by the corporate game and was craving a more creative life, possibly restoring and designing homes. He wanted support as he considered the transition from corporate to entrepreneurial.
Brian, like many who have spent years in corporate jobs, enjoys the security of a big paycheck and steady work. He has an endless series of stock grants and vesting moments ahead of him, meaning that quitting his job was not going to be easy.
Once we started working on Brian's vision for his future, the most interesting thing was what came up about aspects of his life that had nothing to do with work. I find this often happens when clients consider changes in midlife. We begin by looking at “Career,” and suddenly we’re thinking about Relationships, Health, Spirituality, Family, Travel, Security and Balance.
So while exploring his imagined next career, Brian began looking at other parts of his life that needed a shake-up. In Brian’s case, both his physical health and social life felt as stagnant as his career. We discussed what kind of big challenge might jump-start these parts of his life and, in a moment of inspiration, Brian decided to take on his biggest physical challenge ever: He would ride a bike 545 miles from San Francisco to LA as part of the AIDS/LifeCycle. This would provide Brian with a huge physical challenge, an opportunity to meet many new people, and a chance to support a cause he believed in.
Seven months later, Brian had raised over $30,000, gotten into the best shape of his adult life, and met many new people.
The most interesting thing is that this audacious challenge also led Brian to think differently about his career motivations. It helped him look at his approach to his job differently and consider how the job could be re-considered to become a better part of the balanced life he was seeking. Ultimately, it led Brian to a set of intentional changes in the way he shows up to his job, which has given him the ability to clear enough time and space to tackle a single house restoration project a year, on the side. He’s happier than ever in his job, and he’s getting that creative buzz alongside it. Not to mention the new body.
Is there a goal or challenge that you can tackle in one part of your life that might help unlock changes in others? I bet there is … just make sure it’s audacious!