The other day, someone mentioned the book, What Got You Here Won’t Get You There by Marshall Goldsmith. I have not read it, so I’m not sure what it’s about (my apologies to the author) but the title really struck me. As I’m progressing through my yearlong sabbatical, it has occurred to me several times that all the things that got me to where I am now are not necessarily the things that are going to move me forward.
Without any specific plan for this year, I’ve been accumulating new skills and knowledge that I assume are leading me toward something, but I’m not sure what. It’s been awfully interesting to learn them, though. It’s amazing how busy you can be just following your own curiosity.
And while I’ve maintained some of my work, I’ve found that I approach it slightly differently now. I’ve simplified some things and done away with others. I’ve leaned into the projects I really want to do and said no to things I don’t, even if they’re things I can do easily and once enjoyed. I’m learning to listen to myself.
And that’s another interesting aspect to “what got you here won’t get you there.” Part of what got me here was a relentless sense of personal responsibility to the point where I never wanted to let anyone down in the slightest and always needed to go above and beyond. I’m discovering that the whole world does not fall apart if I sometimes have to…
