What Badge Do You Want To Wear?
You likely have a lot on your plate. Things are busy at work. And at home.
You’re ambitious, driven and striving toward the next "thing" .
You push yourself, have high standards and likely feel like you have something to prove.
Somehow, you’re juggling all the balls (but silently worrying you’ll drop one).
You might feel like success equals how many hours you’re putting in, or how many activities you have your kids in, or just how busy you are.
It’s almost like a badge of honor.
I get it. I used to wear that badge proudly.
But what if that isn’t the badge to be striving for?
When my kids were a few years younger, there was this 18 year-old girl working at the daycare most days when we picked the kids up.
She would tell me often how she thought my husband and I were the perfect "powercouple".
We’d be in our suits, smiling, strolling in together to daycare and she thought we were the perfect example of what it was like to have a successful career and family.
I’m not exaggerating . . . most days she commented on this and she looked up to us. I wore that badge!
One day I stopped to chat with her and give her a sense of ‘real-life’ for us (in a kind and loving tone).
I’m more impatient with my kids than I’d like to admit and feel like an overwhelmed mess on the inside.
And this is what most days are like.
That is a picture of what life was like back then. And that’s around the time when I started to make some pretty big changes in how I was showing up in my life.
It’s completely transformed my relationship with my work, with my husband and kids, and, most importantly, with myself.
So many people are going, going, going and missing out on life, like I was.
You’re missing the small joys and opportunities of each day. You’re missing appreciating what you do have.
You’re putting way too many expectations on yourself and making things harder than they need to be.
When you slow down, take care of yourself and get present with your life, here’s the thing, you will be even more successful and perform even better.
All the stressful feelings like doubts and overwhelm just hide your happiness, your brilliance, your best you.
Now if you’re saying that sounds nice and what you want, but because of your position, you can’t. I call BS. There’s something you can do.
It doesn’t matter if you have a corporate career, or you’re a small business owner, an entry-level manager or CEO.
You’ll still face challenges, stress coming at you, things that go wrong, people driving you nuts, a mile-long to-do list, feeling guilty if not focused on the right areas . . . you will run into this in any profession.
If I didn’t make this change in how I was showing up in my life and being intentional every day, I am certain I would be a ‘barely getting by’ burning out business owner.
Very few people get to the end of their life and regret that they didn’t spend more time in the office (there are studies!).
So here’s what I live by now and encourage you to give yourself permission to live by as well:
Stop working so much.
Stop being a victim in your life.
Stop losing your shit on your kids because you have no patience left at the end of a long day.
Stop being so worried and feeling guilty all the time.
Stop trying to be everything to everyone.
Stop trying to prove yourself or take things so seriously.
Start to work less but contribute in a deeper way.
Start to take ownership of your life and how you are showing up in it.
Start to be more patient and have enough left to give your best self at home too.
Start to be kinder to yourself and let go of the worries and doubts that aren’t helping you.
Start to say yes to what really matters, and start saying no to what doesn’t.
Start to believe that you are enough and enjoy your life more.
What success looks like is really up to you. You get to decide what badge you want to wear. You get to choose the life you want.
Besides, no one is perfect so you might as well stop trying so hard to be that way.
What's one thing you can do to slow down and be more present with your life? Share in the comments!
What Next?
We’ve been taught all our lives that more (and more) effort, being busy and sacrifice is what's necessary to be successful. This simply is NOT necessary.
I’ve transformed my thinking and habits over the past few years (even while I was in my demanding corporate career), and I’m still amazed by the difference it’s made, not only in my work but importantly with my husband and kids.
And, I see many others struggling – people who are brilliant, yet feeling overwhelmed, worried or frustrated, so not showing up as their best.
So, I’ve taken what I’ve discovered through my training, the biggest challenges my clients face and my own experience, and created a Be At Your Best Roadmap to guide you in being at your best and thriving no matter what's going on around you.
You can change your entire experience now . . . and not have to wait until you retire, the kids get older or wait for your company to change!
CLICK HERE to download your copy of the Be At Your Best Roadmap.
