The Great Recession. Resignation. Realization.
These have become common terms used to describe certain economic and social impacts over the last couple of years.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 4 million Americans quit their jobs in July 2021. Resignations peaked in April and have remained abnormally high for the last several months, with a record-breaking 10.9 million open jobs at the end of July. (Source: Harvard Business Review)
As the saga continues, I am here to propose the next chapter – the Great Reversal.
This came to me after Adam Grant, a well-known and respected organizational psychologist, recently posted a thought-provoking declaration.
“For generations, we’ve organized our lives around our work. Our jobs have dictated where we make our homes, when we see our families, and what we can squeeze into our downtime. What if we reversed that, and started planning our work around our lives?”
First, I think this might be a little skewed. I don’t like the thought of a job dictating our life. We make our own choices, whether we like it or not. The job you’ve chosen is still your choice.
Although when there are not many options to choose from…that might not be entirely accurate.
But that sentiment about how we organize and plan our lives – that part hit home with me. Especially since we just moved to be back near my mom who is suffering from Alzheimer’s.
For the first time in a long time, it felt as though we executed a plan around a real life event. Sure – there were a ton of factors and other people impacted by our decision. And of course, work was a huge consideration. Luckily, we benefit from hybrid & remote-friendly career options. If you ask me, this truly underpinned our entire ability to reorganize and put things in “reverse.”
One thing: Just don’t confuse the Great Reversal with people looking back in the rear-view mirror with regret and dismay. Maybe there will be some of that but for anyone like me, I’m not going backward. Just back home with a renewed sense of purpose and wisdom.
I expect we’ll see more and more turnarounds in the months and years to come.
Photo by Maria Teneva on Unsplash