Castaway to Captain: My “Career Odyssey” From Island to Island (And Why Journeys Don’t Need to Be Linear and It’s OK to Rest Along the Way!)
We are human. Breaks are healthy. Take them often. They’re a source of fresh perspective and restorative inspiration. Plus, they may even catapult your career ahead.
In 2011, my career unexpectedly began on an island that was going to change my life forever: Ireland. — That island gave me a loving husband and a second family.
10 years later, in the midst of the pandemic, I took a leap of faith and quit my job from the island of Vieques, Puerto Rico. A trip purposely planned for that reason, to create a mental and physical distance. I was burned out, ashamed, and defeated. I thought quitting Google was going to be the most difficult (albeit absolutely necessary) thing I'd ever do. — That island gave me courage and determination.
It turns out that I was wrong. The most difficult thing I ever did was trying to "get back into tech" over the past year, when the time felt right for me (although the economy, not so much). More to come on that in a future post…
Which is why, I'm delighted to share that a few weeks ago, I accepted a new dream job, while on the most dreamy island of all: Bora Bora. What an incredibly well-timed vacation! — That island gave me hope and reaffirmation.
Each island (and the metaphorical oceans in between them) represents an important personal milestone and career turning point, in a far from linear journey.
I love how these pictures capture two of the most defining plot twists of my 30s. But there are things you may not be able to see in there...
• In the picture above, when I found the strength to leave, I wasn't really smiling (at that point, I had been wearing braces for nearly 2.5 years) and I was 15 kg (33 lbs) heavier than today. It wasn't just my teeth and my body making me self-conscious, my heart was heavier too and I felt muzzled by years of "playing the part" and trying to fit in. I forgot who I really was and got lost by trying to be somebody else to please the “system”.
• By contrast, the picture below is a culmination of 3 years of hard self-work, personal growth, and exploration (fitness and yoga helped a lot too!) The new glow really shows, and I won’t let it dim again. I pledge to protect it and nurture it this time around. ✨
A break is the ultimate journey, it will move you along. It will recharge you!
No, it wasn't a "career break", more like a necessary detour. It wasn't "time wasted" either. On the contrary, it was the biggest gift I could ever give myself. By slowing down, I actually allowed myself to heal, learn, and — counterintuitively — eventually boost and accelerate my career (and my self-confidence!)
During this time, I freelanced, consulted, relaunched my edutainment online brand, created, got my hands dirty, played by my own rules. But most importantly, I reconnected with (and reinvented) myself, traveled, attracted amazing new people into my life (and got rid of others), spent quality time with family, reaffirmed my values and beliefs, danced, sang, ran, wrote letters, made videos, attended life-altering retreats, grew plants, threw parties, built communities. I learned so much about myself and rewired some old misconceptions. And I smiled and I laughed a lot. I've been incredibly happy and have pulled in happy people all around me.
It's been quite the “crossing” between two very different versions of me. I will forever cherish this time as the most transformative period of my life so far, and I’ll forever protect and cherish its invaluable gifts.
Some main lessons and takeaways from my journey in between “the two islands”…
- We are human. Breaks are healthy. Take them often. They’re a source of fresh perspective and restorative inspiration. Plus, they may even catapult your career ahead (think about taking a break to pursue a certification or advanced degree, for example). Leaving a job in which you feel stuck can even allow you to join a new company with a higher level and pay! Much better than killing yourself for that promotion...
- Breaks are far from static. They’re immensely dynamic. You’ll learn more from any breaks (short or long, vacation or sabbatical) than by sitting at your desk feeling miserable about yourself. A break is the ultimate journey, it will move you along. It will recharge you!
- Investing in your own wellbeing is the best move you’ll ever make for yourself and your loved ones, and it will pay dividends for the years to come. Whatever “wellbeing” means to you, prioritize it, always and anyways! You’ll always find another job (guaranteed!), but you only have one health.
- You’re your worst judge and the only limit is your mind. No one else judges your career trajectory as much as you do. No one else — frankly — even really cares. Become your own most trusted (and kind) ally and you’ll go as far as you allow yourself to go.
- Don’t make comparisons. There’s only one you in the entire universe. Your journey doesn't need to make sense to anyone else except you. And it doesn’t need to look similar to anybody else’s nor should it be linear. Follow resonance, flow with life’s ups and downs, and build the storyline you (and only you) dream of.
If reading any of this resonates with you, here are a few thing I want to tell you:
- You’re not weak and you are not broken. You are alive and self-aware. Everything is going to be OK! Everything will (eventually) make sense, I promise!
- You are not your job and your job does not define your self-worth. However, your self-worth will dictate how well you’ll do in that job. So, find other sources in your life to draw confidence and sense of purpose from.
- You’re not quitting, you’re giving yourself a chance to thrive elsewhere. If you can, take that chance, go explore! (There are billions of other jobs and much more deserving companies out there).
- And no, you’re not alone — if there’s one thing I learned these past few years is that the more you speak up and openly share, the more you attract people who are in the same boat as you.
So why heading back to the "golden cage" now? Because during this time I learned a lot of things about myself, and the first one is that, although I evidently love islands, I'm most definitely not one! I've missed the teamwork, aligning my work to a larger mission and vision, the excitement that comes with having a big impact on people's lives. And yes, the rewards (monetary and not) that come with all that too. Freelancing and solo-entrepreneuring have been a fun experiment, but I’ve learned that they’re not for me. Not at this stage of my career at least. I admire those who have been able to build their own “gig”, because I know how challenging and lonely it can get.
I love technology and even more so, I love creative people like me. And connecting the two is where I draw one of my purposes. I want to be reconnected to that purpose.
Which is why I'm excited about rejoining “Big Tech”. But don't be fooled, I left “old-Marco” on one of those islands… I’m about to join this new crew as a brand-new, wiser person (in fact, even my hair got whiter). With eyes wide open and receptive ears. With much stronger shoulders, but sleeves still rolled up. With the same passion and determination that distinguish me, but a renewed sense of who I am, my worth, what the boundaries are, and what's no longer negotiable.
I'm glad I finally found a company whose mission and values align with mine. A company that has kept my creative spirit alive since I was a teenager. And I can’t wait to share more about it soon. But for now, wish this sailor luck.
The wind is blowing in the right direction. The sail is raised and strong. The wheel is oiled, the compass recalibrated. Can you hear the sea calling again? This captain is back on the open waters. Let’s go explore, full speed ahead!
🤙 Let’s connect!
If you’d like to chat, you can reach me at: hello@flowithmarco.com
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