Do you see your career as a sprint or a marathon?

Are you running a marathon or a sprint at work?

It’s performance review time in my neck of the woods, that kind of awkward, kind of rewarding and for me always nerve-wracking couple of weeks when the corporate world pauses to give you a heads up on how you are going.

Each time it comes up I face it with trepidation… as I am never quite sure how it’s going to turn out.

This time went well (in case you were wondering), despite my nerves. Though in the course of all the conversations we were having, one cryptic comment had me stumped…’your career is a marathon not a sprint’.

Tricky to interpret right? I love feedback, I actually get a lot out of someone letting me know how I am travelling (that’s why comments on here are fab too!).

Contemplating the concept that my career is a marathon, not a sprint has me perplexed, even doing a little soul-searching.

After a lot of thought, and a glass (or two) of wine last night, I have settled somewhat in the middle.

I think my career may be constantly in a state of flux, acceleration/ deceleration, sprint/ marathon.

At the moment I am definitely in sprint phase, I am hitting my straps, MBA finished, fab role in the corporate world, small creative business thriving (thank you!), and my littlest poppet gearing up to start school.  This period of my life, where I am young(ish), my kids are old enough to be gaining some independence, but not quite hitting full throttle at school, Big A is firmly ensconced in a great role at work, is short. Really short. It’s already flying by. So at the moment my career is set to sprint pace. Fast, and furiously busy.

A few years ago it was a little different. I blessed to have four gorgeous kids in the space of five years, we had moved across Australia (yes I don’t do things by halves), so I recognised where I was at and slowed the pace. It was still busy, but I took a step back in the corporate world, cut back on other things I was doing (creative business taking a break), and slowed to marathon speed.  In for the long haul.  Which at the time worked.

That time has passed though, and for the past couple of years I have been stepping up the pace. I know that in a couple of years, life will change again, and I will need to pause, think and maybe consider slowing the pace again.  And I am ok with that.

What do you think? Is your career a sprint or a marathon?

Enjoy xx