I see you, you Goal-Driven-Getting-After-It-Gal.
You’re up and at it!
Running the meeting AND running the 5k.
Organizing the office party AND organizing your pantry.
Driving greater department profits AND driving the kids to soccer practice.
Cooking up industry change AND cooking dinner. Even if it’s Taco Tuesday. Again. On a Monday.
You are GETTING IT ALL DONE!
You’re ALWAYS ON THE GO!
You’ve GOT THIS!
Until one day… you don’t.
You get up and find your Go is… Gone!
Where Did Your Go… Go?
Just like that. Fizzled. Far beyond the reach of your usual pick-me-ups – that icy cold blast in the shower, the morning coffee, and the adrenaline-boosting rush to the bus stop because you can’t afford for the kids to miss it.
You have no idea what just happened, only that whatever is supposed to be happening just… isn’t.
Now along with the fatigue is frustration. Where’s the finish line? Why does it seem so far away?
You’ve forgotten what you’re working towards, why it matters to you, and how you’re going to get it. It’s as if the Optimal Outcome is no longer the obvious outcome.
And why does everyone else seem to have it easier, like the neighbor with the Lexus and the perfectly mowed green lawn?
Why is the Grass Greener Over There?
Whoa… Slow down there, lady.
Before you drag yourself out of bed, grind the beans and get back to the grind… before your diminished appetite atrophies into apathy, take a step back.
Take a breath.
Something isn’t working. Perhaps Work Is No Longer Working. Or maybe handling everything on the home front has created a State of Crazy.
Really, you’ve known this for a while. But the fix seems so complicated, so time-consuming, you’ve put it off.
Now you feel lost.
But what’s lost can be found!
Sometimes what’s lost is right where we left it, ready to be picked up again, like the keys in my hand, the sunglasses atop my head, the phone in my purse – everything exactly where it should be if only I slowed down enough to not Make the Same Mistakes over and over again.
But sometimes we don’t find that motivation – that mojo – in the same place where we lost it. A career crisis or loss of interest in daily life is the first sign a greater investigation needs to take place, one that should be approached with positivity and curiosity.
Determining your life’s work is your life’s work. That takes time. And energy. Maybe a coaching clarity call is in the cards.
Let’s Get Back to the Basics!
You go Back to the Basics. When we’re so busy we neglect the basics because they seem like luxuries we don’t have time for.
Here are three basic easy Go-To Rules:
#1: Fresh Air = Fresh Perspective. Walk it off. Literally, go for a walk. I get out of my head – and out of my own way – and often find my most creative ideas when I walk. It’s very much Why I Walk
#2: Do 3 Things Right! When it feels like everything is going wrong, do three things right. I’m talking about really simple things, like drinking a glass of water, creating a To-Do list (or a To Don’t List!), or texting a friend to tell her you appreciate her. Action is the antidote to anxiety and good habits beget more good habits. Do 3 Things Right for 3 Days and see how that gets the ball rolling in the right direction.
#3: Stop Making Up Stories! – The lady with the Lexus and that glorious green lawn may have the perfect life on the surface. But that doesn’t mean she doesn’t struggle too. Stop suggesting others have it all figured out. You can’t create external success if you’re struggling with a faulty or unhelpful inner story. Start with the stories you tell yourself – Fire Your Narrator! – and see what a difference that makes.
There you go.
Valerie Gordon is a former television producer whose corporate burnout became a positive career pivot. The founder of career and communications firm The Storytelling Strategist, she works with corporations and coaches individuals on how to use the power of story to create successful and sustainable careers and strong, collaborative teams.