A reflection on my interview with Kathryn Britton. Come back Monday for our interview series with Phil Gerbyshak or subscribe to the blog. Read other posts from the interview»

In Day 1 of Matt Cornell’s interview, he talked about the Buddhist concept of attachment leading to suffering and our careers can be one of those things we become most attached. We spend years growing attached to the knowledge we have gained, to being recognized as an expert, and even just to identifying ourselves in a certain way. But what happens when you get to the top (or even just a peak) and realize that it’s not where you want to be. Sure, you enjoyed the journey and you’re glad you’re here, but when you look up to the next peak, it’s not all that exciting.

What Kathryn did next is inspiring: she stepped back, started over.

First, there was the stepping back. For Kathryn it was the recognition that she found the people more interesting than the technology. And, beyond that, admitting she just wasn’t where she wanted to be. Just this first step alone is a powerful step.

For as few people willing to take the first step of admission, there are even fewer willing to take the second step: action. I see another line between Matt’s and Kathryn’s interviews. Something Matt said: “Repulsion plus attraction gives you direction.” If I might expand on that a bit: the weaker the repulsion, the stronger the attraction must be.

Here’s the thing: while Kathryn and I were talking about her career move, I never got the sense that she hated her job at IBM. In fact, she stayed for another nine months after she decided to leave, which tells me that she was satisfied with her career though not contented.  What’s that mean exactly? She wasn’t strongly compelled to find a new career. She only knew that she would rather work with people than technology.

On Day 1, Kathryn talks says that she considered teaching, but couldn’t make the leap. But when the opportunity to join MAPP came along, she connected almost instantly. The attraction to her new path was far stronger than her satisfaction on her current path. I’m not discounting the fear, uncertainty, and doubt she must have felt throughout the application process – not at all. But she made the leap. She connected with something and trusted in herself enough to follow the path. That’s pretty amazing.

And this is key to what inspires me about her career move. It’s not that she hated her job. People who start a new job or career because they hate the old – that’s almost a natural course of action. (Not always, true, but the repulsion is so great when we hate something that it doesn’t take much to attract us to a new direction.)

That someone who had found some measure of satisfaction, even if it wasn’t contentment, found the courage to acknowledge this and step onto a new path – one where she could move from satisfaction to happiness – that is what I find inspiring.

And so, here’s my question for you today, does your career still have its glitter? Is there something missing? Are you satisfied but not happy? If so, I challenge you to figure out what you find lacking in your current job or career and then open yourself to serendipity – even if that means starting over.

Published Friday, August, 7, 2009