Good grief! The importance of letting go
“When what we do matters to us and something ends or fails or gets taken away, it is natural to experience these moments like a type of death.”
Michaela O'Donnell
Everyone gets stuck at some point in their career. It’s normal. To get unstuck, it’s important to recognize what is holding you back. One reason might be that you haven’t grieved.
This may sound a little heavy. But Michaela O’Donnell makes a strong case that many of us are grieving in the current world of work.
She argues that many people are grieving security and certainty.
If you hoped for stability in work today then you could experience a profound sense of loss.
You may also be grieving specific plans that didn’t work out. You didn’t get [insert requirement - grades, opportunity, the break etc] to do what you so wanted to do.
Bruce Feiler’s research into how people manage transitions found that sadness during a career transition is often not for what has been lost, but for what never came about.
So how might we manage grief and a sense of loss?
Reframe the experience: Rather than seeing the loss as a setback, reframe it as an opportunity for growth and transformation.
Seek support: Grief can be a challenging experience, and seeking support from friends, family, or a professional can be incredibly helpful.
