The Summer Of Our Discontents

If the conversations I have been having recently with corporate women about their careers are anything to go by, this really has been the Summer of Our Discontent…

The unhappiness seems to fall largely in two buckets.

First, women are unhappy that post-Covid, post-that-daily-fire-fighting and post-showing that WFH and flexibility is great for everybody involved (output skyrocketed for the majority of people once they got into a rhythm, remember?), they are forced to return to the office for – by and large – BS reasons.

Combine it with time off over the summer months, to contemplate life and career’s most important questions, such as “What am I here to do in this one short life I’ve been given, and is it what I am currently doing?” on a lounger, and this career unhappiness suddenly makes a ton of sense.

Sometimes we’re downright unhappy with our careers. Because we are in a toxic environment. Or because we are doing the wrong work for us. Or because the set-up and salary are sub-par.

Other times it’s more of a low-key sense of “Is this it? Is this what life should be, waking up every morning, going through the motions, returning home to our second shift of kids and housework? And then repeat tomorrow, ad infinitum…?”

Either way, please promise me you will honour those feelings. The literal and metaphorical distance you enjoyed during your holidays, allowed you to see things with a different perspective. A more correct one. Once you were out of the daily humdrum, daily rat race for a little bit, and the dust settled… The feelings that came up were the real deal.

I beg you: honour them. Please don’t settle for less than you deserve in your career and life.

If you want my help achieving the career steps you want to make, send me a quick message to discuss if I can help you.