Where Are the Boundaries?
“I sooooooooo need this retreat”, one participant told us. “I’m working 24x7 – and have been for months – maybe years. It’s hard to actually recall with covid in the mix. All I know is: I need a break!”
Sarah is a dynamo. Smart, driven, energetic and loved by many. She gives her all to all: her work, her family, her friends, even her two dogs! In the course of our Immersion, what Sarah realized was that directing all that energy and attention outward left her depleted. As determined as she is, she’s forgotten to make herself a priority. And that’s not about being selfish. There’s a vast difference between selfish and self-aware.
So many women we work with are like Sarah: charging ahead, successful, and rewarded consistently along the way. The company saw her initiative and continued to offer more to Sarah: more responsibility, more authority and more money. In her 15+ years of working, she’s never actually had to look for a job: opportunities are placed in front of her, and she’s typically hand-picked for her next role. It’s been tremendously personally and professionally rewarding. Until it’s not.
Sarah came to the Immersion looking for a respite. Attracted to the photos of the Italian landscape, she planned to relax into the week. What she didn’t expect was personal insight, a push forward from a community of wise women, and personal clarity. Sarah realized that in giving so much to others and working aligned to their priorities, she’d lost sight of her own. Through the work we did, and Nova’s Inquiry and Insights process, Sarah realized that she was ready to be more intentional about her career, and her life.
She’d been given great opportunities – based on what was right for the company, not necessarily for her. That will change. She loves her family (including those dogs!) and found an opportunity to share the burden of care. Daily operations on the home front can be demanding! Especially on top of a complex corporate role. Sarah’s learning to ask for help.
Sarah learned valuable life lessons at the Immersion. Recognizing that prioritizing yourself to direct your time and energy to what matters most to you – right now – was a key takeaway. She’s still the driven, high performing, high potential leader she’s always been – with a healthy dose of self-determination in the mix.
