In a previous chapter of my working life, I felt rushed when I was coming back from a holiday. Gotta get back home and ready to go back to work, after all. There was an invisible deadline I "had to meet" to return home and get settled before re-entering the workaday world.

And so sitting in traffic was the last thing I wanted to do. I felt trapped, looking for the next exit to jump off the highway and onto a backroad.

Recently, however, stuck in a sea of slow-moving vehicles, I relaxed. What was the difference? These moments of pause I’m starting to see as gifts rather than obstacles. They're invitations to reflect on where we're heading, both literally and metaphorically.

Over the past holiday weekend, did you find yourself stuck in traffic, or sitting at the airport waiting for a flight, and anxiously looking at the clock? Wondering when the traffic would clear, or when the plane would actually take off? So you could get back home and prepare to go back to a job you weren't all that certain about?

When Deadlines Control Your Time Off

Those self-imposed deadlines feel like they seep into every aspect of our lives, right? Even our time off becomes governed by invisible clocks counting down to our commute back to the office. It's like we're constantly running on a treadmill of our own making, never questioning if we need to be running at all.

But what if these deadlines are telling you something deeper about your relationship with your career? Maybe these are flashing yellow warning lights on your career dashboard—not emergencies per se, but gentle indicators that something needs your attention.

The tension you feel sitting in traffic, the knot you feel in your stomach at the airport—let's take a closer look at those. Is it really about getting home in time to do laundry and meal prep? Or is it about going back to a place that no longer serves your growth, your values, or your vision for your life?

Career transitions often start out with these small moments of awareness; small moments of something feeling just a little bit off. Like realizing that the Sunday evening anxiety you feel isn't just about the weekend coming to an end; it's your inner compass trying to tell you something important.

Turning Traffic Jams into Career Clarity

Let's look at these manufactured deadlines as messengers. When you feel that urgent need to rush back to something that doesn't light you up, it's like your body is sending you a signal:

"Hey, maybe it's time for me to take a look at something new."

There is something beautiful about career journeys I’d love for you to see: They don't actually have deadlines. Imagine that! Despite what our society, your LinkedIn feed, or your well-meaning family members might suggest, there's no cosmic timer counting down to when you must have it all figured out. (Honestly, we rarely have it all figured out.) The only real deadline is the one you set for yourself.

Finding Your Next Chapter in Unexpected Places

When you find yourself stuck in holiday traffic, or commuter traffic, give this a try: instead of watching the clock, use that time to dream a little. What would your ideal Monday morning look like? What kind of work would make you eager to return, even after a holiday?

These quiet moments of reflection, when we're forced to slow down, often hold the seeds of our next career chapter. They're not interruptions in our journey—they're essential parts of it, offering us the space to pause and recalibrate our professional compass.

The most impactful career transformations often start with a simple question: "What if there's another way?" Maybe that traffic jam isn't keeping you from getting back to work—maybe it's giving you the space to imagine what work could actually look like for you. And isn't that worth a few extra minutes on the road?