“So, when are you returning to work?”
“What are you going to do?”
“Isn’t it going to be hard, balancing home and a job?”
I was asked these questions and more for several years as I pondered many of my own. Did I have the time to go back to work? What was I going to do about my kids? What about school vacations? I was already doing a lot of work outside of the home, just none of it paid. Could I continue with the volunteering that I enjoyed and go back to work?
I had played with the idea of returning to work for several years, but always found an excuse as to why the time wasn’t right. As my kids grew and became more and more self-sufficient, I knew that I needed to finally turn the focus on myself. I wanted to go back to work. But had no idea what I wanted to do. I seemed to have a longer list of things I didn’t want to do. In my previous life, I was a lawyer. I didn’t want to go back to working crazy hours. I didn’t want a job where I got only two weeks of vacation. I didn’t want a job with a lot of travel. I was stalled in indecision and it took me several years of pondering and being scared to take the concrete steps I needed to take. Finally, I found the courage to just take the leap after talking with a friend, who was an executive coach.
Talking with her helped me to gain clarity on what was important to me. I realized how important it was to me to have control over my schedule and the freedom to set my own hours. I wanted to be able to be there when my kids needed me and to attend their events. I also came to the conclusion that I really wanted to work with people and make a difference in their lives. What I wanted to do was what she was doing! Speaking with her gave me the confidence to apply to Columbia for their coaching program. The rest is history, as they say.
Making a major change in one’s life is never easy. Returning to work after a break, be it a short one or several years like mine, can be a daunting process. A coach can help you talk through the questions you have and help you to discover your answers to questions like – what do you really want to do? Is it worth taking the time away from family and how will you balance your time? Maybe it’s a financial decision, so how can you maximize your experience to get the best offer possible? You will identify your values, strengths and create a path forward, while being supported the whole time.
What questions are you asking yourself? Let us help you find your answers.
