Once in a Lifetime
I read somewhere that everyone peaks in a career only once or twice in a lifetime. During that time you are your most creative, productive, influential and dependable self. You are in a near-constant state of flow, and your work has a positive impact on everyone around you—both in and outside the office. Some of us peak at our first job and then spend the next 30 or 40 years chasing the same dream. Others peak late in life, having tried on a range of roles before finding one with the best fit.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that my career peaked around the same time I ran marathons. I need movement to think, and long runs provided plenty of it. Marathon training also requires daily discipline and excellent time management when you are a full-time employee and full-time parent.
Back then I mainly ran early mornings when everyone else was asleep. I always ran alone and without music, so I had plenty of time to talk to myself about issues, both personal and professional. Almost every one of my most popular columns, A1 articles or award-winning magazine features are rooted in a long run.
Two decades later, I am in a similar position – juggling child-rearing with heavy writing and editing workloads. I don’t run as far or as long, if at all these days, and that sometimes leaves me feeling creatively constipated. That's a terrible feeling when your professional worth relies on both artistry and accuracy.
Five years ago I left my day job at a non-profit – voluntarily, for a change. I’d twice lost my job despite doing everything right. In one case, the publishing industry collapsed and in another, the entire economy. In both, revenues fell sharply and the corporate response was to cut payroll rather than perks. It’s no wonder that eventually executives in both companies were looking for leads on LinkedIn. It’s also no wonder 50 percent of the workforce is expected to be self-employed within the next 10 years.
Now I help run a small business and moonlight as a freelance writer. I absolutely love the projects and the clients, but at times it is hard to meet deadlines with the life I now have. I’m 20 years older than when I peaked, and my brain and body sometime struggle to obtain all of the sleep, nutrients, exercise and information now needed to succeed. Not to mention the daily demands that come with raising a disabled child are drastically different for me.
I frequently feel there are not enough hours in the day. But what I’m really admitting is that I don’t optimize the hours I do have. After all, each of us is given the same 168 hours weekly. And there was a time when I made use of every minute, whether to hunt down an interview or stare down a finish line. I need that woman to return to me, and soon.
