The Great Resignation or the Great Reset?
So many individuals that I am engaging with these days are talking about the ways in which the pandemic has given rise to an opportunity to reflect and reset. To reflect on what is truly important to them, and to reset their lives to better align with those priorities. Individuals are doing this in big and small ways.
For some, this is about career or job or lifestyle changes. Big changes. I’ve spoken with lawyers, for whom the billable hour grind no longer feels as appealing as it once did. I’ve heard from employees whose organizations have issued a return to work mandate and have decided that they are no longer willing to sacrifice the commute time. And then there are those who have determined that the hustle and bustle (and expense) of living in an urban setting isn’t exciting anymore and they would prefer the spacious quietness of a more rural setting — or vice versa.
For others, this may feel more like a rebalancing, like the pendulum had swung too far in favor of the employer and they are now pulling it back toward equilibrium. Smaller shifts. I’ve talked with workers who are bounding their time (e.g. I am available from 8:30 am to 5 pm Monday through Friday) and/or renegotiating from an hours-worked to an outcome/output-based approach and in so doing, maintaining their work product while regaining their time. They are using this time that they are reallocating to self-care, spending quality time with friends and family, volunteering, developing new skills, and exploring new interests.
As we begin to see signs of the pandemic protocols loosening, there is a myriad of reactions to the idea of “returning to reality.” I think, in part, the great resignation is a result of individuals having reflected on what is important to them — on the life they are trying to create for themselves — and choosing to reset their relationship with how work fits into this equation.
I’ve seen a growing trend of individuals choosing to invest in themselves, committing to do the work necessary to bring their life into greater alignment with their priorities, whether this takes the form of big changes or small shifts. It has been a privilege to support these individuals in the process of reflecting on their values and creating a life that offers them greater success and fulfillment.
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