Let’s Sharpen Those Pencils
There have been many signs pointing me to the topic of today’s FruitSnack. I have been reading incessantly this year – fun novels, nonfiction deep dives, business books, and everything in between. A friend gave me the book “The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living” by Ryan Holiday. As the name implies, you are only supposed to read one insight a day but I am obviously not a Stoic as I fundamentally lack the discipline to do this! As a result, there are times I have to play catch up by reading a couple of weeks of wisdom from Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus, Seneca, and others. One of the Stoic themes is to focus on quality over quantity. To do so requires great focus and discipline.
Some common topics I see with clients relating to this Stoic theme include:
What Got You Here Won’t Get You There: Often also known as moving from saying yes to saying no. At some point in your career as you progress to bigger leadership roles, clearly identifying your focus and saying no to anything that detracts from that focus will increase your effectiveness. Think of successful senior professionals that you know. Chances are they are clear about their focus and are driving zealously towards those goals. They remove the distractions. Busy does not equal Productive. Channel your energies accordingly. Women especially struggle with shifting from yes to no as described in the fantastic “How Women Rise” by Sally Helgesen and Marshall Goldsmith. Highly recommended reading!
Getting Comfortable Being Uncomfortable: The only thing that is constant is change. So how do you move forward when you aren’t sure where you are going? Whether external economic forces, internal strategy changes, managers who are not adept at goal and feedback discussions, we all need to get comfortable being uncomfortable. We can only focus on the things that are in our control. We can plan out the steps that would need to be taken regardless of direction changes. We can understand that a pivot in direction is not a personal affront. But in the moment, each of those actions can be difficult as we experience our fight or flight response when confronted with the unknown. So each of us needs to learn techniques to stay down and focused.
Where are you in your professional journey embodying these critical skills?
As all the back-to-school lists, sales, and talk escalates for kindergartners through college kids. How many of us are dusting off our pencils, readying our brains to try something new? How many of us are questioning the tools, skills, and behaviors we need not only for our current goals but for the next set?
Many companies have slashed their talent development budgets in recent years that it is imperative for aspiring professionals to invest in their own development.
A coach, a course, a certification, may you invest in yourself as we move from the dog days of summer to the crispness of fall with the smell of sharpened pencils in the air.
