Choosing Awkward
When’s the last time you were mind-numbingly, butterflies-in-your-stomach, all-consumingly out of your comfort zone? Where you were painfully aware of how uncomfortable you felt, and desperately hoped the “awkward” wasn’t radiating from your core?
Can you remember? And, if you do remember, did you choose it?
My daughters are a few weeks into their new school year here in the US. This being the start of 5th and 2nd grades, it means they’re no strangers to this rite of passage: the nerves from walking to the bus stop for the first time in 3 months, the familiar hallways now feeling like a maze as they walk to a brand new classroom, the anxious moments of scanning the class for friendly faces, the question mark about whether this new teacher assigns loads of homework. While it doesn’t take long before they are in their new routines and forgetting what life was even like before this current school year, the fact remains that every year at this time, they’re faced with this cycle. They are forced to confront “new”, and have no choice but to navigate it.
And while even typing the above paragraph was enough to give me my own post-traumatic stomach flips remembering those days, it also made me realize something: how lucky are they?!
Every year, they are reminded of what they’re capable of. They’re shown how quickly they are able to adjust, and they’re re-introduced to how truly exciting a new challenge can be. They have resilience, agility and open-minded curiosity built right into their young muscle memory; we can all agree that those are life-long skills of survival.
As adults, this concept of “new” can become fleeting. As we grow into our routines, our professional areas of expertise, our communities, etc., we may not be handed these opportunities for evolution and growth as organically as school-aged children are. It becomes more and more necessary for adults to seek these moments out with intention, but here’s the thing: who WANTS to seek being outside of their comfort zone? Why would anyone look for ways to feel unsettled and awkward on purpose?!
Because that’s how we grow. And one of my favorite quotes is “a comfort zone is a beautiful place, but nothing ever grows there”.
It is in that vain that I am so excited for what I’m about to embark on: SAP’s Social Sabbatical program, which is taking me to Uruguay for a four-week adventure of real-life problem-solving, service-oriented consulting and a goal of leaving our client businesses positioned for success. I’ll be in a new location (new city/country/region/hemisphere!) with 11 SAP colleagues I’ve never met, whose experiences and expertise will be different than mine. I’ll be away from everything recognizable, facing an accelerated project timeline and high expectations armed with two key things: what I know, and the realization that there’s a TON of things I don’t know.
I can.not.wait.
Sure, I’m nervous, but I feel so fortunate to have the opportunity to contribute to this community and learn from these incredible peers (who will hopefully become friends). I am excited to “choose awkward”, as I know there’s a better version of me on the other side of this journey…and I can’t wait to blog and bring you all along with me.
What will happen when I inevitably have moments of feeling overwhelmed, confused, unsure, or full-on doubting myself? I’ll think of my two little girls and the way they rock the beginning of school every year, and I’ll have all the inspiration I need.
Stay tuned!
#SAP #SocialSabbatical #Montevideo #Uruguay
