Happy Easter – a Time for Reflection, Recharge and Moving Forward

A lot of people have commented how flat they have felt going into the Easter holidays here in Melbourne, as well as friends in other locations. 2020 certainly took its toll on many people’s wellbeing. I know I have been feeling for quite some time that my batteries have been close to being flat. At the same time though, I am quite curious about a few unexpected very recent potential long term opportunities career wise that may be in the pipeline both here in my current location, and elsewhere, which would most likely mean a relocation. These came from very far left field and has taken me by surprise, and at a time when I am ready to move forward from the life transitions over the last couple of years.

Like so many people, work, study and life has been very hectic. I very much needed the extra couple of days over the Easter period to unwind and take some time for self-care, and headed to the High Country of Victoria, Australia for the weekend. This couldn’t have come at a more needed time, and I am so grateful that here in Australia at present, COVID-19 cases are extremely low and contained. I relished time on my own for some much-needed reflection and contemplation of my future life direction.

How did this turn out?

„Bewegung ist eine Medizin zur Veranderung unseres korperllichen, emotionalen und geistigen Zustands“ / “Movement is a medicine for changing our physical, emotional and mental states“

~ Carol Welch

This month’s Action for Happiness Org’s calendar is based on the theme of ‘Active April’ which was really fitting this weekend. These were the actions for the weekend.

• Saturday – Spend as much time as possible outdoors today (what a great afternoon / dusk I had on top of Mount Buffalo)
• Sunday – Have a day free from TV or screens and get moving instead (Hired a bike and peddled a return trip from Bright to Myrtleford, seeing a field of sunflowers in the late afternoon)
• Monday – Eat healthy and natural food today and drink lots of water (Before I left for the High Country, I got myself organised for a delivery of fresh vegetable and other ingredients for the week, to be delivered after I got home)

A ‘spare of the moment’ decision on Thursday night and a stroke of good luck, meant that I was able to book a room up in the High Country at the last moment. It was just what I needed, to get away from my usual surroundings and relax. In terms of reflecting about what is important to me and contemplating future plans including where I will base myself, I drew on my Career Development Practitioner toolkit, by asking myself questions such as:

• What is important to me?
• What do I enjoy?
• What skills do I enjoy using?
• What opportunities are presented to me in the environment?
• What sort of lifestyle do I hope to have?
• How effectively am I using my talents I want to use, engaging in activities that I enjoy, and participating in activities important to me?
• Am I living the life I want to live?

In terms of identifying the strengths and challenges of living in different locations, I drew on a combination of Jacqui Turner’s ‘Decision Making Barrier Buster’ activity, and Liane Hambley’s ‘Whole Brain Decision’ Making activity

Decision Making Barrier Buster Activity:

• Column 1 – What is stopping you from moving forwards?
• Column 2 – Benefits to be gained from taking action?
• Column 3 – Consequences of not doing anything?

Further questions I asked myself by visualising myself 5 years in the future for each scenario were for example:

• How do I feel having chosen this option?
• Who is there with me?
• What would they say to me about the decision I made?
• What am I doing?
• How would I feel if this option was taken away from me?

Fingers crossed that borders will remain open in May, and I will have the opportunity to spend a week of my annual leave (serendipitously I had already booked the week off for National Careers Week) visiting Brisbane to do some research of the location in terms of:

• Current labour market information not only of the role in general, but also where I could live & work. Are there any barriers to consider?
•   How the role I am considering may change over the next 5 – 10 years.
  • What does the role really look like?
  • Does this really align with my core values?
  • How may this impact with my personal life?
• Do a financial audit. Would changing career mean a change in financial circumstances?
• Network with people who are working in the industry/role that I am interested moving into

I’ll admit, that I’m quite excited about my trip, with friends who live in Brisbane or not too far away as well as one of my nieces, it will also be a lovely opportunity to let my hair down, relax and catch up with them after far too long apart. Added bonus will be the warmer climate, and the chance to relax in a pool or the ocean. Please let the borders remain open.