Landing the airliner
When my partners and I closed down our hedge fund after 10 years, I took the opportunity to take some time off. Since then I have offered some thoughts to people who have told me they are stepping away from a long career, business or role.
I noticed that while I was closing down the fund, I was already thinking about launching another one after my break. I saw the world through the eyes of a hedge fund manager. I was wearing blinkers. For a decade, I didn't see a retailer offering a sale, I saw an out of cycle discounting to clear an inventory problem. I didn't see populist politics, I saw a significant and minor impacts to portfolio companies. These blinkers didn't just disappear overnight. For me it took quite a few months for those behaviors to even begin to unwind.
I like to tell the story, which you and I have each experienced many times. 'This is your captain speaking. I trust you had a pleasant flight, I apologize again for the delays getting off the ground. We have made up some time in the flight. Shortly, we will be commencing our decent and will have you at the gate on time.' The pilot does not just go from 38,000 feet to 'Welcome to Sydney!' It's a good 30 minutes of decent, tacking, turning and guiding the plane to the resting place of the runway and gate.
The same goes for a big shift in career. One needs to take the time to reach a plateau before the thrust can be removed and the hands can come off the controls. That time lets you reach out to your network and have a casual chat. You can read some books, do some short courses. Or just go and find some serendipity. Opening the mind to the whole world again, not just your narrowed perspective through the eyes of that role.
It is amazing how you can 'destroy your best ideas', as Charlie Munger said, when you give yourself time to take a look around. By not starting the next thing before you have truly finished the prior thing, you can see the world with fresh, unencumbered eyes. Maybe you didn't really like significant parts of what you did. Maybe you actually need a new challenge rather than a repeat. Maybe your previous role doesn't offer the time you want to commit to your new family. There is a tremendous freedom of the mind when you give that computer in your head a hard reset.
The reality is, when we are making a big shift, that is when the lots of 'opportunities' are thrown at us. Maybe its recruiters, maybe its our network trying to pounce on our fleeting freedom. Its often hard to say 'no thanks, I need to take some time'. There is of course the self doubt and fear of missing out. But truly resetting and seeing your world through confident, fresh, clear eyes can give true strength and confidence in actually taking that big next career move.