A few weeks ago, one of my podcast listeners got in touch to tell me how much they loved the name Space to Shift Your Career.
They wrote:
“For me, space isn’t just about time. It’s about the physical environment I’m in.
Especially when I’m in nature – that’s when I finally feel like myself again: grounded, alive, able to breathe.”
These words stopped me in my tracks.
Because that’s EXACTLY why I chose the name! And why I end every episode with: “Make space, rediscover you, and then take action.”
Space isn’t one-dimensional. It’s not just about finding an empty slot in your diary.
It’s multi-layered: time, environment, energy, people. And the flow we feel when we’re aligned.
That’s what we’ll explore in this episode: what “space” really means. And how extending your definition can help you expand what’s possible for your career and life.
Here are:
5 Meanings Of Space Public Sector Leaders Should Consider When Exploring A Career Change
So many public sector leaders tell me they don’t have space.
Not just time. But headspace, breathing space, or a safe space to think out loud.
And when life is packed with responsibilities, routines, and the next urgent thing, it’s easy to fall into one-dimensional thinking. Everything feels like it has to fit into a box.
That kind of narrow thinking keeps you stuck. It’s hard to imagine alternatives when you’re rushing from one thing to the next.
But when you expand your thinking, you expand what you perceive is possible.
Let’s look at a 5 different meanings of space — and how each can help you shift your career in a more intentional way.
1. Space as Expansion
Before making big decisions, we often want clarity. The “right answer.” But clarity doesn’t come from narrowing down too soon. It starts with expanding first.
That means allowing yourself to play with possibilities. Let ideas breathe before you judge or edit them.
Yes, expansion can feel uncomfortable. Uncertain. Even chaotic.
But think of how you approach a new piece of work: you don’t go narrow straight away, do you? You start by asking questions, gathering data, exploring what’s out there.
And when you evaluate the information, you use a FRAMEWORK or a set of CRITERIA to guide you.
Now apply that to your next career move too.
To do that, you need to have a framework and your own criteria. That’s why knowing your values – both, what they MEAN TO YOU and what it looks like when you live them out – is such a vital part of this process. They’re your compass.
2. Space as Time
This is the one most of us think of first. And for good reason!
Time is the most visible – and most elusive – form of space.
Between meetings, emails, and urgent work demands, time for reflection rarely appears on the calendar.
But your career shift won’t happen by accident. You have to create time deliberately for reflection – to ask yourself:
- What do I want next?
- What’s no longer fulfilling me?
- Where am I being called to grow?
Making the time for self-reflection helps you move from autopilot to intention.
3. Space as Physical Environment
Where you spend your time shapes how you think.
Your physical environment – whether it’s your office, your home workspace, or a walk in the park – affects your ability to dream, to feel grounded, and to gain new perspective.
For many leaders, clarity comes when they step out of their usual setting.
Being in nature, exercise, volunteering or hobbies can unlock insights that never appear in front of a laptop.
Ask yourself:
- What physical spaces give me room to think, breathe, and imagine?
Pay attention to what settings make you feel open and alive. And spend more time there.
4. Space as Social Environment
This one’s crucial.
The people around you have a huge impact on your sense of possibility.
Who you surround yourself with can either inflate your balloon or slowly let the air out.
Some people help you see possibilities. Others point out every flaw. And when you’re already unsure, the wrong company can make your craving for something different feel naïve.
Being intentional about who you share your ideas with – and who you let in – can make all the difference.
In my 5-month Find Your Career Space programme, we spend time exploring this very thing: who’s in your support circle? Who do you trust to challenge you and believe in you?
I’ve had to revisit that question many times in my own life: when I was the first in my family to go to university, when I studied abroad, when I moved countries, or when I set up my own business.
Each time, stepping outside the norm required finding a different kind of space – and the right people to hold it for me.
5. The Space Within
This last one gets often overlooked: the space within.
It’s that inner expansion that comes when you’re in alignment with who you really are.
When your work aligns with your values. When you spend time doing stuff that is meaningful to you. When you work in an environment that allows you to do your best work.
And when you are surrounded by people who walk the talk – and don’t just put values slogans on the walls.
That’s when you feel a sense of warmth, light, and possibility growing inside you.
When you start to make space inside, you can literally FEEL it: your body relaxes, your thinking clears, your energy returns.
That inner spaciousness becomes the foundation for every decision that follows.
Finding your career space. That’s what I want for you.
Because when you create your career space – one that truly fits who you are now and how you want to evolve – you don’t just function. You feel alive again.
And that’s why I say: Make space, rediscover you, and then take action!