SAP Social Sabbatical (Part 1): Choosing to be Uncomfortable
I am not opposed to trying new things in life, but equally I am relaxed and content coasting within my comfort threshold — it’s easier, predictable, organised and routine which appeals to my controlling qualities and characteristics. (Did I mention that I am a control freak and Project Manager?) My life as a parent of two busy teenagers, a puppy and a global role in SAP Support demands me to be highly organised, efficient, productive under time pressure and continually proactive to stay one step ahead of everyone else. This results in clear structure and future planning. I know exactly where I/my team are and where I/we are headed. Great, right?
But what is uncomfortable about this, you may ask? And that is the crux! Nothing is risky as I continually strive to be constant and stable. That’s why I am successful — or so I thought. On the downside it means I am hesitant to challenge my status quo, take risks and new challenges. Seeking the uncomfortable or the unpredictable would rock my core values and stability. So why would I seek these tasks or opportunities.
This is not to say I neglect my self-development, in fact the opposite, but in reality, I was always choosing safety which comes with being comfortable. However, after some very challenging life events which made me face some tough questions, it dawned on me that I was not truly being fair and honest to myself. I was stopping myself from reaching my true potential. I was deliberately not choosing projects that I knew would challenge my expertise and competencies. I was not advocating for the leadership opportunities as I prefer not to be in the spotlight although I may have some very valuable opinions to share. Yet my development plan and ambitions were telling me something different; that I wanted to make more of a tangible impact somehow — but I didn’t know the HOW part.
The mentors, coaches, managers, and other significant influential people in my life prompted me to push myself further, to seek out more challenges. But this would mean seeking new things in my life, taking on more risk, being vulnerable and ultimately consciously choosing to be uncomfortable.
The U.S. Navy SEALs are known for saying “get comfortable being uncomfortable” to help team members grow and achieve the impossible. As we all know being uncomfortable is good for you because we must be uncomfortable to grow and learn. If you always stay in your comfort zone and avoid situations where you might fail or be uncomfortable, then there is no way for you to grow as an individual.
Ok in theory that sounds easy, but how do I apply this to my home life and career? As adults the concept of ‘new’ can be hard to find the right opportunities as we become established in our professional careers, our communities, our family routines. This is where intention is critical. Actively AND consciously seeking to be uncomfortable. You need to be intentionally seeking ways to be outside of your comfort zone.
Quite often we meander through life with blinkers on but when you take them off you often find the solution was right in front of you. With my eyes wide open the solution presented itself to me quickly: the SAP Social Sabbatical — nothing radical or off the charts but yet it ticked all my boxes!
The SAP Social Sabbatical is a portfolio of global pro-bono consulting programs that enable SAP employees to share their knowledge, skills and expertise with non-profits and social enterprises all around the world. Sounds amazing, so what is the uncomfortable challenge for me?
Firstly, in nearly 20 years of marriage I have never been away from my husband for more than two weeks (co-incidentally). A realisation that only came to me on consideration of this program. Equally I have never left my two children for more than five nights (intentionally as one has a rare disorder with complex health challenges), so how possibly could I leave home for a month, the idea alone certainly made me somewhat uncomfortable.
Secondly, how would my boss cope with my absence; note I am a Senior Exec Assistant, so the notion is that I am naturally meant to be indispensable and critical to their daily success!
Thirdly and probably the biggest obstacle. What if I go and I fail? What if I cannot deliver what is expected of me on the project and to my team and client? I would be joining the top catalysts and top talents from around the world coming from various LoBs where my lack of expertise knowledge in Dev, Engineering, Sales, Innovation etc would/could/may be exposed. What value I can bring? churned the voice in my head. Not a very helpful mindset and one that I knew would never move me to be where I needed to be.
With this I realised these were limitations and restrictions I was imposing upon myself — and not externally. My husband, children and boss were indeed my top champions and cheerleaders — proud to support me to take on this challenge. To shift to a more positive mindset I reflected on the times in my life that have given me the most satisfaction and fulfilment (asides from my family!). It was when I had pushed myself out of my comfort zone and was willing to be uncomfortable short term, for long term gain. Auditioning to be the second ever female conductor of the Uni of Warwick Wind Orchestra during my 20’s whilst at university was a prime example. My baton still sits in my office on my piano to remind me of this positive, life-changing experience. It was staring at me right in the face like a scene from a Harry Potter movie. How had I chosen to ignore this for so long?
The truth is I needed the courage and the growth mindset to take the first intentional step — to apply. Accomplishments are rarely accidental. To quote Dev Ghadi’s research “Success is 20% skills and 80% mindset.”
Luckily for me I am naturally stubborn and have developed a high level of resiliency, so I set myself the challenge. With a new shift of mindset the rest was fairly easy and you could say is history! I prepared conscientiously, secured a mentor to help me achieve my goal. I chose to be open, honest, and transparent. My application essay began with:
“The decisions to my greatest accomplishments in life have always presented themselves to me in the most extraordinary circumstances and when I’ve chosen to be uncomfortable; this is no different ...”
Ta-dah a few months I was informed that I was successfully chosen to be a part of the Albania SoSa Team in 2024. This moment of realization stirred up a flurry of butterflies in my tummy! Not a sign of nerves or being scared, but a positive excited feeling — something I had not felt in a while, and I realised that I was genuinely ready for this fresh and exciting adventure because I had chosen this … with INTENTION, CLARITY and CONSCIOUSLY CHOOSING TO BE UNCOMFORTABLE.
Now that I have arrived in Albania with my global SoSa team aka “Wings of Change” you will need to read Part 2 to find out how choosing to be uncomfortable is working out for me! But I can give you a hint that I think it is probably one of the best decisions of my life. 😊
Stay tuned!
#SAP #SocialSabbatical #WingsofChange #Albania #SAP4Good #LifeatSAP #probono #growthmindset #beinguncomfortable
