Found a great podcast from my pal Jocelyn, Reboot, and didn’t really know where to jump in, but something led me to this interview with Alex Rethore, “Reboot Your Definition of Success.” This quote really jumped out at me:
“What if it’s not a pause? What if it’s the new way? What if being present is what the new opportunity is?”
Jerry Colonna
For a decade I ran music outlets. Most of that time was a passion project, which led to a “real” jobby job.
I remember the Monday after I left. No urgent emails, no frantic calls, no… pressure. And I kept thinking that I needed to get back to that pressure. Like it was my default. I had done that work for a decade, so that’s what I need to return to. “It’s what I know,” I would tell myself.
Until I had so many moments of pause (see the quote above), that it became who I am. It was my guide post. I knew the negative signposts; the things I didn’t want in a new job or gig, but I finally discovered what I really want, and it’s the pause. That’s the default.
The pause is time to make coffee. Or an actual lunch, from scratch. A morning walk. An early start to the gym.
The pause is now built in, and has become the default.