A Mindful Spiritual Reflection: Beyond an Exit Statement

On the day 113 post, I shared the need to create an exit statement to help me frame the context of my job search. I realized the need to dig deeper into my aspirations first. Perfect timing is here. I have just learned a framework in my Tuesday class on spiritual reflection that will help me do just that. In this post, I am sharing a practical exercise on this topic using the law of attraction-connection-complexity-consciousness as presented by Dr. Louis Savary’s paper based on Pierre Teilhard de Chardin’s law (1).

Spiritual Reflection on Exiting My Job

Attraction

a.      What attracted me to my current role?

b.      What am I attracted to as my next role?

c.      After 3 years into this role, what stood out for me, professionally and personally?

I was attracted to my current job since I love running agile projects and enjoy many learning opportunities. Three years ago, I transitioned from the human services field as a psychotherapist/counsellor back to Information Technology (IT). Making that transition was tough as there was fierce competition in job applications. I felt rejected and despondent. After 6 months of vigorous search, I finally got two positive replies that led to a series of interviews. At that time, I had to choose between a lucrative 18-month contract role with a medium-size organization and a full-time career with a large corporation. The contract role required me to lead a digital transformation program after a failed attempt, the other role required me to play within one part of the bigger transformation initiatives. One offered more money, more autonomy, and promised a more strategic impact. The other was more stable with a narrower focus and that was a path that would take me to a traditional retirement after about 5 years.

Connection

a.      What have the connections been?

b.      Any tension did I find?

c.      Is there a connection of my life – where is grace happening here instead of despair?

The contract offer was difficult to resist because I met the four key members of the executive team, and we developed a rapport for the organization’s mission. The CEO accepted all the compensation terms that I asked for. But what would I do after I delivered this program in less than 2 years? After much deliberation, I respectfully declined the offer and went with the more stable path hoping I did not have to cover my grey hair and go through another dreading job interview in my life.

Complexity

a.      What complexities did this job “exit” bring into my life?

b.     How do I juggle things, e.g., work, school, family?

c.      What would the future hold for me?

I was grateful to land on my new role as a Scrum Master (in general terms, this is similar to an IT project manager’s role using an agile approach). That was my dream job. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about many challenges to businesses including my role. On a positive note, my role expanded with more responsibilities as Chief Scrum Master. I also took advantage of a 6-month in-house course on Adaptive Leadership studying among a cohort of managers from different departments and geographic locations. As I glanced at the new Certificate on Adaptive Leadership issued by Harvard Business Publishing, I envisioned a bright future with this organization.

The future of work continues to evolve as the uncertainties brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic persist. One havoc relates to the reality that my role will terminate by the end of 2021. I was given ample time to prepare for such an exit. But this early exit complicates my life plan. I was supposed to retire from this company. I did not plan to waste any more of my time on job-hunting. I was not supposed to deal with another round of company orientation.

How does my future look like?

Consciousness

a.      What have I become aware of?

b.      What are my reflections?

c.      What would I do differently?

What I become aware of is that though I can make plans, there are many forces at play that are not in my control. Times of transition can point me towards a greater understanding of my core beliefs, what I value the most, how to nurture the significant relationships in my life, what my life purpose is, and how I can leave a lasting legacy.

I am encouraged to pause and take time to reflect before moving into autopilot again. The project manager in me is nudging me to start a spreadsheet on options analysis: scenarios, pros, and cons, and action plans.

But wait.

How is the spirit leading me currently?

What have I learned in the past 3 years that may help me better plan for this transition?

Knowing what I know now, what would I do differently? Or continue?  Or stop?

As I am exiting this role, what hopes, and fears do I have?

I shall continue to explore the above reflections.

Do you have any suggestions for me?