A Great Revisit
Why asking the Big Questions is what just might lead to your next Great thing
Last month, the professor who coined ‘The Great Resignation’, told Fast Company that it’s largely over. The U.S. quit rate (yes, that’s a thing) fell back down to pre-pandemic levels way back in June. If, like me, you found yourself captivated by this wave of quitting in 2021–22, you might also feel a little grief at its declared end. While the measurable quit rates have subsided, I find comfort that the essential truth behind the movement remains. It’s a quixotic notion proved very real: we have a choice.
These notices weren’t tendered out of the blue, either. Poll after poll in the ‘Big Quit’ years showed that 30–40% of respondents were considering quitting their job in the next six months. And then, they did! Put another way: preceding each decision to resign was a period of revisiting. Fifty million great revisits all adding up to one Great Resignation.
The power of a Great Revisit
To revisit in this sense is to take a step back and confront yourself with a question that goes something like: Do I stay where I am, or not? It’s inherently to consider what could be compared to what currently is, and that consideration (when done well) is grounded in what you value. The question you revisit won’t always center on a job nor will the answer always resemble resignation. In fact, that’s the power of any ‘Great Revisit’ — just by wrestling with the question, you’re embracing the reality of choice and the transformative power of choosing.
Why is choosing so powerful? First, it reclaims the agency and self-determination to which every human should have a right. Second, to choose is inherently to be active. Take the question I describe above — choosing to stay is an active re-commitment to the ‘why’ you’re here in the first place; choosing to not stay is to start down the path that helps you go, from clarifying your destination to drawing the map that gets you there. All choice necessitates action in some way. Lastly, to choose is inherently to be aware, specifically that there is more than one good way. When you choose differently than expected, you expand the possibilities for those who come after you; creating a new branch in the multiverse of options.
What gets in the way
As intoxicating as embracing choice may be (just me?), I recognize that it can be elusive in the everyday. In the areas of our lives where we feel most bound, the big choices seem impractical and out of reach. Who has the time or imagination for a Great Revisit? And then there are the undeniable degrees of privilege that will afford you much more or much less choice based on who you are, what you have, and how you look. Woof.
Even once you recognize that you have a choice, there’s still the tricky task of making one — and the trickier task of trusting the one you’ve made. How many of us know how to make big decisions in life, let alone take action on them? This can be especially true at #adulting stage; most of us spend youth having choices made for us, then one day wake up to suddenly make them all on our own. Hello, whiplash or, worse, immobilization. For some, owning their decisions through conscious, intentional choice is a muscle that never really develops — because of fear, shame, or some combination of the two.
Here’s the thing: the only way out is through. You give it a shot, learn from how it goes, and then do it again. Bulking up in your ‘Making Big Decisions That You Can Trust And That Align With Your Values’ muscles requires experience over time, like reps at the squat racks. But the good news is that you don’t have to do it alone! Trusted friends, life mentors, professional coaches (like me), and even strangers on the street can be your ‘spotter’ at the gym — you just have to show up and choose your weights.
Where do you find yourself?
Are you in need of a Great Revisit but aren’t really sure of what it is you’re confronting? Or perhaps you know the question to consider, but it terrifies you. Or you’ve been there / done that, and are living the next Great thing your revisit led to. If any of this is you, or this piece has resonated with you in some way, I’d love to hear your story!
Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing more on how I believe individuals (and even teams) can create the time and space needed for Great Revisits, from articulating The Essential Question to strategies for making the decision itself. To keep up with new content, follow me here on Medium or LinkedIn.
Jodi Chao is a certified professional coach and 2x Chief of Staff who believes that Great Revisits lead to even more Great Things. When individuals and teams show up for the big moments with clarity, conviction, and a little bit of audacity, things never stay the same. If you’d like to learn more about her work as a coach and consultant, you can do so at www.jodichao.com.
