Do You Need A Career Detox? Part II
“Twice a year, I get out of the office, breaking from my normal routine, for much needed “Think Weeks.” By actively disconnecting and looking at everything from 50,000 feet, I am able to effectively reflect, reset, and clearly rethink my goals and aspirations….For each “Think Week,” I create a life to-do list, do a lot of research, and think through big ideas and challenges deeply. Going through this process has been enlightening” Bill Gates
In my last post I introduced the idea of taking a career detox or retreat. Today I’d like to explore five things that you can do to make your detox a success:
- Identifying your detox goals
- Preparation
- The Right Environment
- What to do while on your detox
- Post Detox
1.Goals: What do you want to achieve? Are you looking for more energy? Do you need to rethink your career goals? Are you in need of a complete career overhaul? Perhaps you like the company that you work for but the job isn’t doing it for you anymore. Or, you may feel like you are just going through the motions and you really need to rethink your life.
2. Preparation: It’s not likely that you will find many places specializing in career detoxes so you will probably have to create your own retreats. There are a great many retreat centres all over the world, many of these offer spiritual retreats or business oriented retreats that specialize in leadership development, team building or coaching. I suspect that the latter include daily programs that are non-negotiable and that do not allow much time for to be on your own…which is what you want in a detox program. As you prepare to go away let people know you won’t be available for a day or a few days. Decide what to take with you: paper, pens, a tablet or computer, books, art supplies, etc. Perhaps more importantly decide how long and for how often you want to be “unplugged” and honor this commitment to yourself.
3. Environment: Make sure that you select your location and environment very carefully based on the outcomes you want to achieve. If you live in a city you might want to find a place in the country or vice versa. Even if you can’t leave the city I recommend that you spend some time outdoors. Walking is a great way to unleash your creative juices.
4. What to do? Engaging in some form of exercise and eating healthy foods are the foundation of the Herbal Detox program and provide a strong foundation for a personal retreat. This will make it easier for you to reflect on your life and your work. We get so caught up in our day-to-day lives that we lose our objectivity—we can no longer accurately assess our situations. Self-reflection is an underrated activity that we can learn how to do.
5. Post detox: First off congratulate yourself for taking time to focus on your life and your career. Keep your new vision and plans close by and refer to them regularly.
The last word on this subject goes to author Laurie Helgoe, who writes, “Whatever retreats you design for yourself, do them regularly. Protect them. Put them on your calendar and tell others you will not be available during these times. Turn off your phone.”
