Discover Enjoyment

It is always a pleasure to speak with seasoned partners who have discovered how to enjoy the profession. They feel energized and fulfilled because they know that their work matters. They have discovered how to have rewarding and meaningful careers.

One Partner’s Story

One of my recent calls was with a partner who shared her story with me. She described how she was on the brink of looking for something else to do. The stress, pressure and overwhelming responsibilities were negatively impacting her health and her relationships, let alone her high standards of excellence. It was just too much.

Her Journey

It was a journey I had heard many times before. Without knowing what to do, she began making plans to leave. With the support and encouragement from her leaders, she also decided to get some help and advice on how to manage difficult times in her life.

“It came to me that I had to decide if I was going to impact life or let life impact me. It was a hard time, for sure. Learning to take charge of situations rather than be at their mercy was not easy.

I had to accept that I was responsible for me—not my schedule, my work, or someone else. Once I did, my life changed. Rather than kicking and screaming that life was unfair and feeling overwhelmed, I learned to ask, ‘What would I have to do differently to take on X?’”

Her Learning

Personal responsibility is in short supply in our culture today. Blaming everything on “out there” is preferable to looking “in here.” Stress, unfair shakes, limited opportunities, etc. are usually assigned to circumstances and events, rather than any lack of personal capability.

“I had to get over two traits that were holding me back: the need to control and perfectionism.”

Letting go of being in control is a continual process. She said that if she was going to be successful, she would have to start trusting others more. Trying to control everything kept her in too narrow of a bandwidth, which caused her the stress of a workload that required a broader span. The only way to expand her bandwidth was to train, delegate, and support those who could help her.

In addition, her desire to do well drove her to require perfection—in herself and in others. There is nothing wrong with a high bar. But desiring excellence isn’t the same as being rigid or demanding flawless results. It doesn’t beat up anyone, but asks what should be different so that it doesn’t happen again.

“Now, when I begin to feel overwhelmed or really stressed, I have the confidence and experience that I can get through it. I don’t feel helpless to make it work. I focus on being present in the moment and not be distracted by so many things that matter less.

Your Success

This phase of professional development can be really rough. As a result, some elect to quit and leave for a another situation, never to reach this stage. Some quit and stay, going through the motions, but not really engaged.  

If you are going through a period like this, be encouraged that there is a rewarding, fulfilling career on the other side. Exhibit persistence. Get help. Be courageous. Endure difficult times to learn the lessons that produce a rewarding and meaningful career.