Is the Great Resignation Actually the Great Regrowth?

Posted on March 31, 2022 in #Career. Reading time: 3 minutes

A lot of people are leaving their careers (a la “The Great Resignation”), among other things, because they find no more satisfaction in what they are doing. And after they leave, people are either jumping into entirely different jobs and mastering new skills, or taking on courses toward new certifications and degrees. Collectively over the past two years there’s been a real urge to learn more, to grow, and to expand knowledge rather than remain in situations that are broken, unfair or unproductive.

Companies are beginning to open their budgets more for employee training, and I think there is no coincidence here. What if learning and development (and actually being able to apply that acquired learning), took more of a priority within companies? Maybe we would see more people remaining with their employers.

Could “The Great Resignation” actually be “The Great Regrowth”? In my opinion, absolutely. I think we’re trying to make sense of the absurdity and complexity of the times we’re living. Unconsciously we know that learning makes us feel better — this personal growth and positive mindset steels us against complicated times. And languishing in an uninspiring or demoralizing situation in the midst of an already challenging and chaotic time is driving many to seek out growth and take charge to reclaim their lives — almost regressing (in a very positive way) into a childlike state of being completely open to possibilities, curious and explorative.

This is all very similar to the practice of developing neuroplasticity — the ability we have to create more and better neural pathways in our brain. I’ve been studying this over the past two years in my own effort to grow, and I’ve learned that we can adapt our brains and ultimately make ourselves feel better.

Neuroplasticity structures how you can approach taking charge of changing and expanding your condition and bring learning to the forefront on your own path to a more fulfilled place.

Late last year I wrote about and shared a video about four ways you can increase your neuroplasticity. There are three additional keys to rebuilding your brain, which I think is helpful if you want to join in on this regrowth period and create a more rewarding and positive life. Consider adopting these to encourage neuroplasticity:

Make it personally relevant

If something isn’t meaningful and purposeful for us, it won’t be effective. This means that if we want to change or to think in a new way, we must be personally invested. Your older neural pathways point you toward habitual behaviors, beliefs and actions until the desire for something new becomes so strong that these patterns are disrupted.

So to grow, ask yourself what will make it deeply personal? What are you truly longing for? When I work with clients on career and personal transformation I always go deep to find the personal relevance that will encourage them to take on a sustainable change that will remain.

Develop better focus & attention

Many of my clients ask me how they can be more “present.” They want to feel the moment without distraction. So I always ask my clients, “How do you feel now?” since the body finds quicker answers than the intellect. Practice asking yourself how you feel right now.

Practice and make mistakes

There’s nothing like making mistakes to improve and to learn. However as we get older, making mistakes is less acceptable. We need to unlearn this, and become more childlike in our learning — simply practicing and experiencing small failures.

The ability to fail and to try, to recalibrate and try again is how we increase the thickness of the neural pathways and connections in our brain and even eliminate neural pathways that no longer serve us. We need to continue to challenge ourselves to learn and up our game to enhance our neuroplasticity, even meditating or listening to podcasts, to direct your focus and attention to the present.

In summary, I encourage you to make mistakes, practice being present, and find topics of personal relevance as you learn and try to make sense of the crazy times we’re in. Enjoy learning, that’s all that matters.

Let me know if I can help you develop your own regrowth strategy. I’m here to help you jump into your neuroplasticity and begin practicing enhancing those neural pathways. Contact me to set up a consultation or reach out directly via messaging on LinkedIn.

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