Executive coaching and manageable expectations.
We are all short a few hours in our day, have more messages in our inbox than we can possibly reply to, fight the urge to skip the gym session, and have a “to do” list that is longer for every day that goes by. Truth be told, the sick part is that many of us find comfort in that.
So what’s with this?
Until we have reached our goal, we occupy ourselves at being crazy busy. Busyness sometimes can give a false sense of accomplishment. Having goals, ambitions, wanting to do things, and doing more of what we like every day is the essence of being alive. So, nothing wrong with that. But the risky part is to do stuff just for the sake of doing it. It is easy to lose perspective of why we do what we do.
Constantly pushing the envelope to reach further is what makes an athlete a gold medalist. But wanting to be the best at everything, to be on top, to reach for number one, and to be known for the best thing since sliced bread on everything that we do, and not resting until then, is risky.
When we need to be best at everything, than everything becomes marginal, and marginal will get us down every time. Not stopping until we reach the top is one sure way to never stop. Success is incremental. Learning to recognize the steps leading to it will allow us to replenish ourselves and reach further. We all know that the top is a moving target, and so it should. So what are our chances of reaching it in one shot?
Despite what we would all like to believe and the odd viral success stories we may read on line, most of us become who we are and reach the goals we set for ourselves with time and efforts. Sorry. I know this sounds boring but it is true. And it works. Ask any gold medalist.
Following our passion is of course, the best thing to do. Passion however is not necessarily something we are born with. For some people it is, for many people it is not. It is something that grows on you and if you ever planted anything, you know that growth is a timely process. This is true for people, and it is true for organizations.
So, while we are in the weeds doing things that do not appear too glamorous, we may actually be on our way to stardom.
Knowing what matters to us or our business, what adds value and what is a waste of time, and being secure in who we are to the extent that we don’t need to be in everything, are great ways to help us decide what we need to work on and what we can drop.
If you don’t have time to sort this out or don’t know how, ask for help. As you know, because you are so close to the tree, you may not always see the forest. Others might. All you have to do is ask.
How you lead yourself, and others, matters.