Snakes and ladders
Life isn't linear, nor is ambition
I have never been interested in climbing the ladder, but all those ‘just got a new job’ LinkedIn posts do start to nag at you after awhile. Especially when people you know are becoming GMs, being appointed to boards, etc.
Funnily enough, someone once asked me if I left a particular job because it wasn’t serious enough for me. Fun is actually a huge factor in my calculations of work satisfaction or when evaluating a move. How much will I enjoy the actual daily work? Balanced, of course, with compensation, flexibility, location … all very important factors. But every job has been a dream job in its own right. That is just my baseline. I can’t imagine not doing work I like.
(And yet - I feel very disconnected from words like fun, pleasure, and joy more generally in life. Unpacking the baggage there is probably a topic for another day, though…)
We all get to redefine ambition for ourselves, and if you’re anything like me, you’ll keep facing doubts, and either adjusting or re-committing to, what it means for you:
I know a few women who are fantasizing about fundraising a seed round or making partner. But most of my friends are running the numbers to figure out if they can afford to quit without another job lined up, or go down to four days a week without taking a significant salary hit. They are applying for positions that don’t require overtime so they can be more present for their children, their elderly parents, the causes they care about, their own creative practice. Some are thoroughly burned out and want to work less for the sake of their own health...
Are we failing future generations of women when we don’t throw ourselves wholeheartedly against the glass ceiling? ... The truth: Collective progress isn’t gained through one exceptional individual’s achievements …
For ambition to be sustainable, it has to be personal and complex, not just about rising through the ranks.
What else I’m reading
Love our brains, even when they sabotage us. Here’s how to retrain yours to better support you
This is the price women pay for putting themselves first (this is an outstanding ongoing series)
Don’t call me a girlboss. Or boss babe, or anything of the sort. It’s so offputting to me, I won’t follow brands centred around these terms (although to my annoyance, I felt such a strong pull to one particular coach whose Facebook group contains ‘babes’ that I actually joined it, and while I’m glad I did, the name still grates!)
How to show up for the people you care about (with or without kids - which, let’s face it, often changes the formula)
The benefits of doing nothing. I find the stretches of time I spend lying next to Mr 3 waiting for him to fall asleep are some of the richest for inspiration…
How to get comfortable being yourself at work (which, to be fair, is easier and safer for some than others)
On learning to love (ruthless) editing. It wasn’t until right at the end of my second (and last) journalism job that I got to experience this, and that was a shock! I like to think I’m a fairly sharp editor for others, but no matter how skilled you are, you’re just too close to your own work
Why are people in their 30s giving up music? My taste definitely froze in my late teens/early 20s. There’s a few songs that have broken through the haze - Redbone, Havana, Shape of You, In The Air … but they are definitely the exception