“Bench time” is a metaphor for taking a break to examine goals and values in our lives.
It was created by Gareth Lymer of 'afterthecomma '. I had the pleasure of getting to know him as a lecturer and industry leader during the Hyper Island training. Gareth started developing “Bench Time” when he noticed how well the concept resonated. This can be for very different reasons. Either because people want to think about their careers. Or they wonder whether the career directions are still valid and still suit them. Or simply because our careers generally last much longer due to demographic changes. There are many reasons why it is important to take this time out and analyze your (professional) life. We increasingly see time on the “bench” as a process of discovery and expression of individual abilities and needs in all areas of life.
Gareth's approach to developing Bench Time is co-creative. As a group of Hyper Island Alumni, we took the core of Gareth's idea and together we thought further about the concept in order to find and create collective values. In this way, development becomes a process in action. This approach is incredibly inspiring and broadens your horizons.
The summary question for Bench Time is: What values do we want to pursue at what point in our lives? Gareth took us through different values, introducing concepts such as mindfulness and meditation and linking these to value. At first glance, this seems to be a contradiction. But ultimately we have to create values, on many different levels. Therefore, an attribution of value makes sense so that we can classify it or assign a value. Such values can also be reflected on a personal level. I found it inspiring because it brings together two concepts that seem to contradict each other. The way Gareth put it made me realize that this doesn't have to be the case.
Would you like to share some thoughts? Are you interested in participating in the pilot program? Or would you like to be notified when the first course starts? Get in touch. I'll be happy to keep you updated.