What happens when you’ve been frantically delivering to deadlines and then you’ve finally completed that project?
When there is a lull in the workload? Or rather, (because the to do list never goes away!) there is a lull in the urgency of what you’re working on?
Two clients raised this recently – the challenge of sustaining motivation when the pace has slowed down.
On the one hand they really wanted the pace to slow down because it was not sustainable in terms of their own wellbeing but on the other hand, they now feel like they are sitting in limbo and don’t know what to do with themselves.
Michelle* described how she couldn’t seem to settle on anything and subsequently feels like she has wasted her day. Rachael* talked about a lack of motivation, an inability to get enthused about anything. And the problem wasn’t that they didn’t still have many things to do, after all both women are CFOs in busy organisations.
Have you experienced similar responses?
Many of my clients have Achiever as one of their top strengths in the Clifton Strengthsfinder assessment and whilst this has been incredibly valuable in getting them to this stage in their career, as they are very action oriented and driven to get stuff done, it does have a shadow side (as does every strength) which can mean that unless they are delivering something tangible they become restless and dissatisfied.
Do you recognise this in yourself?
One of the challenges with this response becomes the need to keep ‘doing’ at the expense of creating space for new thinking to emerge. It is impossible to shift to a higher level of big picture thinking and taking a more strategic approach unless you consciously shift your approach.
So what could you do when you find yourself in this state of limbo?
What has worked for you when you’ve found yourself in this state in the past?
If you’d like help to recalibrate your mindset around work and what being busy or successful means to you then let’s chat.
With love,
Sue
When there is a lull in the workload? Or rather, (because the to do list never goes away!) there is a lull in the urgency of what you’re working on?
Two clients raised this recently – the challenge of sustaining motivation when the pace has slowed down.
On the one hand they really wanted the pace to slow down because it was not sustainable in terms of their own wellbeing but on the other hand, they now feel like they are sitting in limbo and don’t know what to do with themselves.
Michelle* described how she couldn’t seem to settle on anything and subsequently feels like she has wasted her day. Rachael* talked about a lack of motivation, an inability to get enthused about anything. And the problem wasn’t that they didn’t still have many things to do, after all both women are CFOs in busy organisations.
Have you experienced similar responses?
Many of my clients have Achiever as one of their top strengths in the Clifton Strengthsfinder assessment and whilst this has been incredibly valuable in getting them to this stage in their career, as they are very action oriented and driven to get stuff done, it does have a shadow side (as does every strength) which can mean that unless they are delivering something tangible they become restless and dissatisfied.
Do you recognise this in yourself?
One of the challenges with this response becomes the need to keep ‘doing’ at the expense of creating space for new thinking to emerge. It is impossible to shift to a higher level of big picture thinking and taking a more strategic approach unless you consciously shift your approach.
So what could you do when you find yourself in this state of limbo?
- Take a break – our bodies and minds are not designed to constantly be running at a million miles an hour so taking time for rest and recovery is critical. Athletes do not operate at race day intensity every day and nor should you! As a corporate athlete you also need to pace yourself if you are going to be in your career for the long haul!
- Actively shift your focus to something outside of work entirely. Consciously focus on what you could do with some extra time with your family or to pursue a long-forgotten hobby – work less for a while with the knowledge that you will be busy again soon!
- Reframe what achievement looks like – creating new ideas and building strategy may require reading and talking to others both inside and outside of your own business without a tangible outcome right away.
- Reconnect with your purpose – spend some time dreaming about your aspirations and how you want to BE in the world
What has worked for you when you’ve found yourself in this state in the past?
If you’d like help to recalibrate your mindset around work and what being busy or successful means to you then let’s chat.
With love,
Sue
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