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Finding Freedom: Part Three – Small Steps to Freedom

Making a Splash 

When I was about five years old, my parents took me to California.  We stayed in Pasadena, a suburb of Los Angeles, known for its beautiful climate, abundant sunshine, and numerous swimming pools.  I learned to swim quickly as a child and loved running around the pool.  I was even tempted to learn how to dive—small steps: standing on the edge of the pool, putting my hands by my head, and gently leaning forward until, with a gentle push, I could fall into the pool, fingers first.   

The next step was to climb up the steps of the diving board and attempt a big leap into the freedom of diving from a height.  As a young, naïve, excitable child running around, I wanted to ascend those stairs, stand at the edge of the board, and dive in.  And so I did.  Awww! It was not an Olympic-quality dive—it was a belly flop.  It hurt.  That big leap to freedom turned out to be just a bundle of pain.   

So what was I going to do?  Give up?  Never jump again?  Never swim again?  Recognise that I never wanted to feel that pain again?  Do anything in my life to avoid it?   

As a child, you’re used to falling over, scraping your knee, picking yourself up, and trying again.  And that’s what I did—picked myself up and tried again.  The second time, I made a slightly better dive.   

Why am I telling this story?  For many people, the significant leap to freedom evokes the fear of standing at the edge of a very high diving board, gazing down and contemplating what will happen when you hit the water.  The big leap feels as though it will bring a great deal of pain.   

Increasingly, some people fail to take that significant leap to freedom.  In fact, from their privileged position in the executive suite, you are likely to be pushed before you have a chance to jump.   

As you experience the slow free-fall of your three months’ notice or negotiate your compromise agreement, do you see this as a leap to freedom or as a source of pain?   

Career Leaps 

Several times in my life, external circumstances have created opportunities for me to step into freedom.  When I was a partner at Andersen and the business was shut down in the UK, I was presented with a significant opportunity for liberation.  The chance to avoid going to Deloitte and rebuilding a practice from scratch, which I viewed as toil and slavery, arose in the context of a recession that was generating fear.  Instead of succumbing to that fear, I leapt at the opportunity to build a portfolio work-style, ensuring that I had up to two days a week available to pursue the activities I most wanted to do.  However, I wasn’t making that leap to freedom alone; I had the support and encouragement of my spouse.   

I had a realistic understanding of when my money would run out.  I had a plan for what it might look like to do something different.  So, it wasn’t a leap into the unknown but a leap into freedom.  I desired a freedom that we, as a couple, were committed to and one that we would fight for, regardless of the circumstances.   

The truth is that circumstances dealt us several painful blows after I left.   

Not only had my work at Andersen come to an end, but our landlord had also decided to evict us from our home, and we faced a significant death in the family.  It was a challenging time.  Still, we knew we wanted freedom, and we had chosen it, even though we hadn’t realised what it might cost us, despite having prepared a plan to reduce our expenses.    

That significant leap to freedom requires courage, persistence, and a strong desire to help you navigate the difficult times so you can truly relish the good times.   

Do You Have to Leap? 

But is there an alternative to taking a significant leap?   

Some people have the luxury of a planned transition; others can gradually reduce their corporate life while developing a new work-style.  However, sooner or later, you must let go of the familiar comforts of your previous work-style to embrace freedom.  No matter how small that final step may seem, it’s easy to recognise that it is a significant leap.   

A speaker shared an intriguing formula with me during one of our workshops.   

If you have a strong desire but limited capacity, the fear of change is likely to dominate, preventing you from making that change. You might also have significant capacity for change; however, if your desire is minimal, even the slightest fear could hold you back.   

You may have a vast capacity for change and a huge desire, but if you misunderstand the fear of change and are unable to address it, that fear can grow so large that it prevents you from making the change. However, the ability to change has limits. If you want to make a significant leap rather than a minor one, your desire must be greater, your capacity must be more substantial, and you need to manage your fear effectively.   

If you’re making a smaller leap, your desire and capacity don’t need to be as high, and there’s less need to manage your fear.   

Jump First, Ask Questions Later 

For most of my married life, we have tended to jump first and ask questions later. It was a leap that first took me to Andersen to join an international professional services firm. It was jumping first that moved us to Moggerhanger Park, and it was jumping first that, again and again, relocated us to different places—to live and to work.   

Charles McLachlan is the founder of FuturePerfect and on a mission to transform the future of work and business. The Portfolio Executive programme is a new initiative to help executives build a sustainable and impactful second-half-career. Creating an alternative future takes imagination, design, organisation and many other thinking skills. Charles is happy to lend them to you.