As a featured coach at www.divorcedparents.co.uk, I was asked to write a series of four light-touch articles on the subject of divorce and careers. This is the 1st in the series.
Divorce, as we know, is one of the most stressful things to go through, as is any big change. Does it really make sense to throw another life-altering change into the mix? Here are 3 things to consider and help you decide if it’s also time for a career change.
How Resilient Are You?
I mentioned stress. If you’ve had a really challenging divorce and you’re still reeling from the fallout, the chances are that changing careers right now will add to your angst and have you reaching for the bottle, even if you’re proud to be teetotal. Changing careers takes courage, confidence and crystal clear clarity about what you want. If you feel like you can conquer the world now you’re divorced, go for it. But if you’ve been through the mill and you’re still licking your wounds, you might want to hold fire until the dust settles, along with your blood pressure.
A Midlife Crisis, or the Real Deal?
Let’s face it, the stress of divorce may have left you a little fuzzy headed. By all means go and buy a Harley, or a wardrobe full of new shoes and have your midlife crisis that way. Those things will only make a dent in your budget, they won’t affect your life. Changing your career, however, is not something to do on a whim. If you’re unsure, take yourself off to the Bahamas or wherever would help you feel the most relaxed for a couple of weeks before you decide to go the whole hog and change careers. If you’re still thinking of a new career on the return flight home, it’s probably the real deal!
Your Happiness is Key
If you had a divorce party and the song that had you up on your feet, hairbrush in hand was Queen’s “I Want to Break Free!” you might just be in the right space to blossom into the version of you, you’ve been dreaming of. You may have a burning desire to release yourself from everything that has been holding you back, including your current career. Maybe you owe it to yourself to do something that will make you truly happy.
At the end of the day, timing is everything. If you feel now is the time to change your career, go for it.
Life is to be lived, not endured!