Working Really Hard, But Not Feeling Valued?

All week I’ve been thinking about something that happened last Sunday.  My sister ran her first Marathon!!  Now, although you might be happy for her, what does this have to do with YOU?

In my 1:1 conversations with smart leaders about their careers, and about the organizations they are leading, themes seem to percolate up.

• We know what we want, but there seem to be external forces out of our control that feel like they are preventing us from committing to the goal or following through to actually achieving it.  These can show up as very practical-sounding issues:  a declining economy, a difficult board of directors, an aging audience, loss of income, we’re too busy…
• We set a goal, know we can’t do it alone, but find it a challenge to get the support we need.
• We work really hard, but don’t feel the people around us know or value what we do.  There isn’t acknowledgement of our role or our contribution.

And that’s where the story of my sister comes in.

For year’s she had been saying she wanted to do a Marathon.  And then she decided to take action – either she would do it, or she would stop saying she wanted to do it.  She took the time to think about how she would feel if she did not try. She knew she would be sad and would regret it.

She committed, and set an initial goal… she would run a Marathon in a year.  And more than that, she had real clarity on why she was setting that goal and the impact it would have when she achieved it. She knew she’d gain incredible lessons that would serve her in business and life, and she’d be in top physical condition as she turned 50!

Taking the time to figure out what we want in this initial step of goal setting is key to keeping us motivated to stick with it, and helps us choose the specific actions, thoughts, feelings, and beliefs that will support our goals.  Many people skip this step.

An additional bonus? When we can articulate our why and our goals of impact, we create the possibility for others to connect with us and want to support the process! In my sister’s case she shared posts over the year as her distances kept getting longer and longer. We saw and felt how hard she was working, we saw her joy, her pain, and we saw that she “showed up” every step (literally) of the way. The reality, is that just like you, she is busy running her thriving business, travelling, helping others. There were many, many valid reasons why spending time “running” could have seen as less important than other demands on her time.

But this is the lesson. It wasn’t about running, and she and the people in her life and her business knew that. And they supported her. They knew that being healthy, empowered and having increased empathy and insights to bring to her clients, mattered.

So in the end, yes! my sister ran her first Marathon; but like goals of balancing a budget, increasing revenue or ticket sales, or even losing weight… it was just an OUTCOME of what can happen when you create your larger goals of impact and every day commit to “showing up” and choosing the specific embodied actions that will support you. That’s where the possibilities live, and that’s what my sister accomplished!

Think of your situation – in your professional or personal life.  How could you reframe your goals in terms of impact and why’s?  Then how could you share these aspirations with others in a way that engages, and connects them to your vision?

What beliefs, “practical” reasons, and external forces are you choosing to accept that are inadvertently sabotaging your efforts?

This slight reframe can make all the difference.

Working with smart people like YOU to make these subtle shifts brings me great joy, as I love watching the incredible impact it has on the people you serve.

If you’d like to schedule a complimentary clarity call with me to discuss YOUR best next moves, I invite you to apply for a session by clicking here. 

With your success in mind,

Kathryn