If given the option to either win or succeed, which would you choose?
If you're anything like me, your first reaction is to say 'win'. I'm a competitor at heart and if you have a game to play, I'm going to do anything I can to come out on top.
Pause: Career Chat ahead!
Even with all of the good things it seems like are happening at work, I'm non-stop behind and feel like I'm failing at every turn. Staying up late, 14 hours in the office yesterday, giving my everything just hasn't been cutting it - but seriously, by what standards?
The feeling of 'failure' comes from the high expectations placed upon me and just not enough time, not enough support and sometimes not enough energy to do a great job like I'm used to doing.
Jumping over hurdles that high isn't always possible. Unless you're this guy:
John Wooden defines Success as "Peace of mind attained only through self-satisfaction and knowing you made the effort to do the best of which you're capable."
Yes.
What I'm missing from my current state of being is having that peace of mind and self-satisfaction for all of the work I'm doing. As many of my co-workers know, I often strut around the office because I'm so smitten with everything our team does day in and day out for the business. Lately it's been a different Jessi - one who shows defeat on her face, doesn't walk as tall as she should and isn't satisfied with her efforts as her standards for herself are too high along with the expectations of others.
I'm not trying to be better than anyone else, I'm trying to be better than I've ever been before.
Healthy approach, but I think where I can help myself is by appreciating my own work, patting myself on the back, and measuring myself against who I was the day prior, not what every external source expects me to be.
And with that take advice from everyone around me to be vocal about what help I need, where I need it, and how to better set everyone up for success. Sometimes you need people who are looking in to tell you to pause and reset - and I'm ready to listen.
I re-played 30 seconds from this video over and over again to get this entire quotation and I think it's perfect.
"You should never try to be better than someone else, always learn from others and never cease trying to be the best you can be. That's under your control. And if you get too engrossed and involved and concerned in regard to the things over which you have no control, it will adversely affect the things over which you have control."
Just like I learned long ago through my time spend on the diamond - control the controllables and the rest will fall into place.
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7 comments
Wow, that hurdle guy is crazy human bunny! Thanks for the reminder though that there is no point in getting wrapped up in things I can't control- although lately it seems to be more and more of that type- and to refocus on what I can control.
Learning to compete only with yourself is a HARD lesson, but so worth it. Hang in there!
Such good advice. My boss had to tell me the other day that I need to learn to take a compliment because every time I get one about my work, I fall into the "Thanks, but X could have been better." I need to slow down and appreciate successes but not stop pushing for better. It's a tough balance.
my coach used to tell me to always control the controllables too!
Holy Hurdles!
This was a great post, thank you for sharing. My new position & workload is absolutely throwing me under the bus every. single. day.
I need to remember to just aim for improvement over the day before! This was a great reminder!!!
Oy vey--this post is SO applicable to my life right now, especially at work. I will try to keep it in mind the rest of the week. It's tough!
SO TRUE! i think people fail to stop and take things into perspective. it's so easy to get immersed in what you're doing but in the grand scheme of things, if certain things (the uncontrollables) aren't completed, will anyone die? will the company shut down?
i work in the satellite (TV) industry and people are always fretting over every single thing. i used to be like that but then i sat back and thought: it's just TV; no one is going to die without it!
it's all about perspective, people!
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