Rebuilding yourself & Your Career

I've been working with many clients on rebuilding. Some are rebuilding themselves and their relationships, others are rebuilding their careers and leadership. This is a great thing, because rebuilding gives us power. The power of creation. To create what we desire, rather than what we can tolerate.

What is also true is that it can be incredibly uncomfortable.

It requires us to commit time to reflect honestly on what's working and what's not. This step alone can be quite the hurdle. In a world that moves at rapid speed and where there's always one more article to read, one more post to scroll through and one more task to complete, it's hard to stop, slow down our thinking, and be with what is.
 

It's easier to just keep going. Keep coping. Keep tolerating. Keep moving forward in the same way we always have, think the same thoughts we've always thought and face the same challenges we've always faced. This path is known and predictable. It's uncomfortable ...but in a familiar way. And sometimes we convince ourselves that it's good enough.

It's harder to stop, question, dream and rebuild.

And yet, I have found that many more leaders are willing to do this.

I have a client rebuilding how she leads. After years of driving herself incredibly hard, she's rebuilding her beliefs around leadership, success and value. She's creating a life that reflects the things that are important to her. She's building trust with her team. She's being honest about her challenges. She's asking for help and building confidence in the process.

I have another client who's rebuilding how he works. Following years of being an amazing individual contributor, he's now leading a global remote team. He's learning how to lead a team, how to influence results in others and how to build productive connections remotely. He's rebuilding how he thinks about work, productivity and influence.

Another is rebuilding himself after burnout, following years of long hours, constant travel and health challenges. He's rebuilding his life piece by piece, based on what he wants to create, how he wants to live and the impact he wants to have. He's doing this as he rebuilds his beliefs around power, status and worth.

I share these stories because I'm incredibly proud of the courage it has taken these leaders to slow down, reflect, dream and create.

Also, I share it because if you're going through a process of rebuilding, I want you to consider 3 things:

1. Rebuilding can often feel uncomfortable.

This is not a sign that you are on the wrong path. It's simply a reaction to trying new things. Learn to name the discomfort, pause and be with it without having to believe the thoughts that come with it, then move forward. Rinse and repeat this process as often as you notice the discomfort.

2. Your imposter or inner critic may get louder.

That's okay. Recognize it as a sign that you are growing and stretching. Don't have it mean anything about your confidence, skills or you. If your inner critic is persistent, write down what it says on a piece of paper. Pin down the thoughts and put some distance between you and them. They are not you nor true.

3. Let go of the urge to figure it all out upfront.

I find many people use up a lot of energy trying to figure out exactly how things will go. They get lost in thought weighing all the "what if" scenarios. Learn to recognize when your thought process is useful and when it's not.

Ask yourself: "What needs my attention today? What decision(s) needs to be made now?” Focus on those things and let go of the rest.

Happy Rebuilding!