"What people don't realize is that there's a difference between a summer vacation and a lifestyle," says Sharon Schuster, editor of ReCareering Newsletter in Lake Bluff, Illinois. Schuster, who's been studying these changes since 1986 when she was downsized out of a public relations job with AT&T, says geographic cures are like comfort foods.
"When people are reeling from the emotional trauma of losing a job, they're looking for comfort, fun-something to make them feel good," she says. "But the reality is that these aren't always easy life choices, either."
After several ratings guides recently touted Fayetteville, Arkansas, as the darling of relocators, Schuster tracked down several urban refugees who migrated there in search of a better life. One was former Chicagoan Linda Ray, who moved away at age 50.
To her dismay, Ray discovered that the town's economy didn't greet every transplant with open arms. She found that there wasn't much of a market for her broad communication skills in such a small community. It also didn't help that there was considerable competition for lesser positions from university students and faculty spouses. She'd never imagined it would be so hard for her to get a toehold. She was forced to fall back on the proceeds from the sale of her house to support herself.
Ray saved her career by launching her own marketing services business, eventually narrowing her focus to advertising. By joining the local chamber of commerce and volunteering for several community activities, she slowly integrated herself into the town and achieved the less frenetic pace she had so desired.
Despite her early financial difficulties, she doesn't regret her decision to leave Chicago and is pleased with the new life she's created in Fayetteville. But she warns prospective transplants to be realistic about the employment opportunities. "It could take a good solid year to get established," says Ray, "so you'd better have a full year's living expenses set aside before moving day."
To minimize potential disillusionment, Schuster recommends investigating what it would be like to live elsewhere before packing your bags. Use your vacation time to check out the job market, talk to locals and determine just how feasible your plan is.
"A little reality-testing can go a long way," says Schuster. For example, she says that if you plan to start a business, "you'd better make sure there are enough resources available to you. A phone and a fax may not be enough."
Top on her list of "musts": a decent postal system, a good library or research institution and a regional airport.
Take a Break
Time is your most precious commodity. Like it or not, you probably give a major chunk of it to work. But how large a chunk do you really want to give? It's up to you, whether you realize it or not.
The Protestant work ethic has built a nose-to-the grindstone, shoulder-to-the-wheel mentality into our collective psyches. This notion makes it difficult to justify taking time out (or off) to think about your goals and dreams. And as the pace in our technological society accelerates, it's becoming even harder to carve out quiet time for figuring things out. Yet "inner time" is crucial to good decision making. Without it, you never really gain enough perspective and self-knowledge to set your own course.
As director of the Center for Interim Programs in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Neil Bull spends a fair amount of time convincing people that it's OK for them to take time off to figure out what they want to do and where they want to do it. Mostly, he works with high school graduates to design yearlong sabbaticals that will better prepare them for college. To date, he has nearly 4,000 such programs to his credit. One of his greatest challenges is dealing with the protests of parents (usually the dads) who believe their kids will be led astray if they don't immediately move on to higher education. Despite their fears, every teen he's helped so far has gone on to college. So much for "Father knows best."
Bull offers these kids "find yourself" time-a year to learn about the world and themselves. The programs include opportunities for adventure and discovery as well as play, and bring the teens greater confidence and newly found direction.
It's a year that most adults also desperately need but seldom get.
Bull remembers doing verbal battle with former baseball commissioner Peter Ueberroth over the built-in values of a success-driven culture. While he didn't convince Ueberroth (who is troubled by health problems) to give up the chase, he has convinced others to come around to his way of thinking.
When he was top dog for Merrill Lynch & Company, Don Regan approached Bull with an intriguing assignment: plan sabbaticals for a pair of high-ranking, 60-something Merrill Lynchers to reward them for their 30 years of devoted service. Regan (who was later hired and fired by the Reagan administration) hoped the sabbaticals would help the veteran executives bridge the gap into retirement and help them think more creatively about their options.
When I asked Bull why people needed help planning their time off, he responded bluntly: "Most people have no imagination or training. Unless you tell them exactly what to do and how to do it, they can't find a zip code in southern Illinois."
"Come on," I said. "We're talking senior executives here, not high school kids."
What Bull said next was fascinating: "Most people are terrified to take time off. The fear factor is so rampant that when they let go for even a few weeks (not to mention months), they feel like they're writing their own obituary."
The worry is that if your employer can get along without you for several months or a year, management may conclude they can do without you forever. If you're in the office 60 to 80 hours a week, you can protect your territory better.
This logic makes some sense. However, are you sure you really want the territory you're so fiercely defending? Or are you just protecting it because it's yours?
If you let go and allow the company to make do in your absence, you may be surprised at what happens to you. Once out, many people express no desire to ever go back.
