I want you to know something…I struggle to be proactive and strategic, too. I feel the pain of the challenge of making sacrifices. I fail to prioritize the long-term too often. I get distracted by shiny object syndrome.
Much of what I share in these posts, or advisory conversations with clients and colleagues, very much applies to me, too.
So what?
When we’re down, beating ourselves because we’ve fallen off the wagon again, there’s real value in knowing that others share the same struggles. We really are all in this together. Who can you call, reach out to, or lean on to help you get perspective? Who are your friends, mentors, advisors, and coaches who can confront you with the brutal reality, but also with the love, support, and encouragement to know that we all face these struggles?
When I was a kid and received money as a birthday gift intended for the purchase of some desired toy, I wanted to go to the store the minute they opened the next morning to get the toy. My mom (who is probably reading this and laughing) would advise me to consider if I wanted to hold on to my newfound wealth a little longer rather than let the money “burn a hole in my pocket”. Rarely did I heed that advice.
I still buy plenty of toys that I don’t need the minute I see them. The difference today is that I have systems and people around me to help me get back on when I fall off. I can (and do monthly) re-visit my vision and goals for the year and beyond. If the decisions I’m making are not consistent with that vision, I need to develop tools at the action level to get me back on and stay on track.
If I need a shoulder to cry on about a regrettable decision or a failed good-faith effort, I have a whole team of mentors, advisors, family, and friends, all of whom (thankfully!) stand ready to help. I even have the embarrassment of riches of being able to reach out to different experts for specialized advice on different types of problems.
We’re all in this together. There is no “bear it alone”. If we don’t have systems and people to help share our struggles, 99% of the time it’s because we haven’t invested in creating those systems and developing those relationships.
Look at where your support systems are weak and begin to invest more effort into building those up. And if you or someone you know needs some help, let me know (and that’s not a sales pitch!).
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