This one is going to be a little different.
I was sitting on our porch Tuesday when K and S came up with the mail. My quarterly Harvard Business Review mag had come. With a little coffee left in my cup and a few minutes to spare, I quickly thumbed through it. On the last page, I was surprised to see a Q&A with Alex Honnold. A climber is sort of different for HBR, but that’s not why this one is different.
Part of our leadership programs always have something to do with thinking about careers. How we spend a better part of our lives is a big deal, after all. The second-to-last question the interviewer asked: Since the El Cap ascent, how have you been thinking about your career?
Alex’s reply is why this is different. He said:
Now that I’ve achieved that life dream, nothing is calling to me as much as it did. That’s what I’m struggling with.
For a change, that’s not me. I can’t say I’ve reached a defining pinnacle from where I feel like everything else is downhill. Still, the thought stood out to me. Why? Because I tend to think about everything up to the point of hitting that pinnacle. Never beyond. Alex and maybe any of you who have reached what you’d consider a defining pinnacle is essentially asking…
Now what?
That’s a tough one. If any of you have any tips for how you’ve answered it, let me know.
