An Uphill Life

Life and work, at times, feel like an uphill struggle.  We constantly second-guess our careers, our roles, our projects, our life, our relationships and … and … and…

I do it too.  Maybe more than anyone else.

The thing is, where does it get us?  Not very far, although I keep trying to prove that theory wrong. 

A recent email from an out-of-work IT professional sparked some thoughts on how to make life / business a bit less of an uphill climb:

• Consider there is no such thing as perfection.  Perfection is an invented conversation whose only purpose is to keep us confused and disengaged from pursuing what we really want.  It’s sneaky too as many people say “But I’m not trying to be perfect.”  If you’re experiencing frustration about where you are in life, you are engaging in some type of “perfection-seeking”.  So, stop looking / striving for it.
• Stop pursuing what you think is the “right” career path (the one everyone else tells you to follow)  and start pursuing what you’re heart is telling you.
• Make time daily for prayer and reflection. If all you do is spend 10 minutes per day in silence, your world will change for the better almost overnight.
• Cancel all of the following as of today: a) Newspaper / magazine subscriptions, and b) Cable/satellite TV
• Stop watching, listening or researching the news – period.  The media is poisonous and it’s 100% deadly when you’re down.  There is nothing important about the news.  If there is, it will find you without you seeking it.
• Find a book club, professional group or recreational group to hang out with.  Make sure the folks are in it for the activity and to support one another.
• If unemployed, stop hanging around unemployed people.  They are almost as poisonous as the media and are likely not in a position to hire you.
• Sigmund Freud has a brilliant quote, “What you resist, persists.”  All the ways you’re trying to “fix” yourself will only make you more broken.  Fixing is the easiest way to resist what we don’t like about ourselves, but will result only in the persistence of our perceived brokenness.
• How do you find what will work for you as a career?  In my case, I followed my heart and said “f-you” to all the folks who said I was nuts or wrong.  Not a very “coach-like” method, but it initially got me into a career I love.
• Don’t stop when it gets tough.  If it’s getting tough, it means you’re almost at the point of breakthrough.  Seth Godin wrote a brilliant book called “The Dip”.  He explains this thought in detail.  Read it.

Regardless of how steep life’s hill is, I realize I have a daily choice:  a) allow my circumstances and stories to kick me to the curb, or b) go make a difference for someone.  Which should I choose?

Trust,

-Coach Preston