Take A Break
As many are enjoying summer breaks, I’m sure some are reflecting on where they are in their career, where they hope to go, and what would be a fulfilling outcome. So with that in mind, here is a link to a story I read back in February titled “No More Spring Trainings.” It’s about John Jaso, a professional baseball player who in the midst of a successful career unexpectedly decided to give it up.
One of Jaso’s central messages is about doing what it takes to find fulfillment in life, and how different people have different ideas about what that means. When he decided to take a step back Jaso had already made $17 million playing baseball, and could have made more, but:
“… he found the M.L.B. life to be unfulfilling in some unexpected ways. “Baseball set me up for life,” he said. “I love it, and I respect it. But it was part of this culture of consumerism and overconsumption that began to weigh really heavily on me. Even when I retired, people said: ‘You might be walking away from millions of dollars!’ But I’d already made millions of dollars. Why do we always have to have more, more, more?”
There are many people who work for their entire lives out of necessity, without an opportunity to pursue a particularly interesting career, or “follow their passion.” I’m sure this is the most common case if one considers everyone everywhere who gets up each morning and goes to work. A fortunate few, however, have a chance to develop a level of interest and expertise in an area that is intellectually stimulating and poised for growth, and secure a job in their chosen field doing something they enjoy.
Over the past few decades this has been the case for many pursuing careers in the life sciences, whether as scientists, business founders, group leaders at some level, or individual contributors. The path forward is rarely a straight line, however, and more often characterized by twists and turns, ups and downs, and inevitable unexpected events. As a consequence, at some point in their journey many will consider the same questions as did John Jaso.
Did I make the right choice in choosing this particular career? Even if it was the right choice, has the path I’ve traveled led to the place I expected? Is the company I’m currently working with the right one for me? Am I learning new things, developing the kind of expertise and experience I anticipated, and growing both as a professional and as a person? Do I enjoy the environment in which I’m working, the projects I spend my days working on, the people with whom I’m interacting?
Unlike Jaso, most will not have accumulated $17 million, and thus don’t have as much flexibility in terms of choosing an alternative path forward. They still may be questioning whether or not they are on a path to a fulfilling life. Even if a change may be more challenging or risky without such a financial cushion, everyone still has options.
Nearly every day I speak with people who are moving as fast as they can, working as hard as they can, often juggling many responsibilities and obligations in parallel. That’s just the way life is in most early stage high growth technology based businesses. Unless one is getting some form of positive reinforcement from the experience, however, and continues to believe that they are making a wise investment in their future, such a lifestyle can lead to mental and/or physical health issues, and ultimately some form of burnout.
So in the spirit of John Jaso, my message here is for everyone engaged in such a pursuit to stop what they’re doing and take a break from time to time. Take a step back from whatever race you are running, and reflect on your goals in life and whether or not you’re still on a path that will lead to personal fulfillment, however you define that. If so, that’s great. If not, perhaps it’s time to begin considering options for the future, and steps you can begin taking to better position yourself to pursue a new opportunity that may be more fulfilling in the long run.
Wishing you all a happy summer!