Life can sometimes throw us off course, and there’s no guidebook for what to do after we stumble. The key to getting back up lies within ourselves, not in what others think we should do. Trust your inner compass to guide you toward your North Star. This will not only ‘sharpen the saw’ but also stretch your abilities, deepening your growth and development.
When you feel stuck, find something that will fill a gap or need in the world. Explore things in life that inspire and motivate people to join the journey without sacrificing their own ambitions. Avoid letting society put limits on your self-worth and inspiration to build a better world. Once you define what you stand for, don’t let the corporate world shatter it. While it might shake the walls at times, know that these moments are reshaping the path to face the complexity that life throws at us. When you have a solid foundation, no one can hold power over you to destroy your self-worth because you OWN IT.
Here are a few suggestions to keep you centered and avoid getting caught up in hustle culture:
- Be comfortable with failing forward and be open to accepting an error rate of 10-20% so you don’t burden yourself with any missteps along the way. Make note of the life lesson learned and move on.
- Devise strategies where slowness can become a strength, and simplicity will naturally bring speed. This will minimize errors when trying to move too fast.
- If there isn’t one clear reason for doing something, refrain from doing it. Ask yourself who, what, where, and why so you gain a clear understanding that there is value before committing energy and time to everything else you have going on.
- Closeness to the details will lead to better execution. Don’t hesitate to ask questions so that you can envision the bigger picture, articulate the strategy to get there, and deploy the right emotional energy required to get the job done.
- Overextending yourself can bring drawbacks, so take the time to reassess the circumstances to mitigate any unnecessary churn that could escalate to the top.
“It’s hard to change your habits if you never change the underlying beliefs that led to your past behavior.”
James Clear
We live in a society where our value is often based on what we produce. This forces the workforce to conform to what corporate culture dictates rather than allowing the natural forces of our being to shape it. The human reality is that people need space to cultivate their identity in order to thrive. When you can embrace who you are, stand by your self-worth, and feel comfortable stepping outside of the corporate ethos, you will reap independence and form a new North Star—one that aligns with where a good, honest life takes you.
To further guide you, Simone Stolzoff shares numerous real-life stories in The Good Enough Job. He leads readers through scenarios and life experiences that nearly everyone has either witnessed or found themselves walking down that gravel road. Midway through these visual pages with relatable insights, there’s a piece on culture and a look at companies that echo a family mantra. It’s evident that fostering camaraderie and friendship is essential for a cohesive environment, highlighting the importance of striking a delicate balance to maintain social circles, both personally and professionally, which can prove invaluable during changes in employment or life circumstances. In essence, recognizing your worth gives you comfort, assuring you don’t have to participate in water cooler conversations.
For further reading, BetterUp offers insightful tips on how to build your self-worth. This doesn’t come easily for everyone and may require commitment over weeks or months, but whatever time is needed will yield a personal return on investment.
Remember, you get to define what is good enough and not let anyone have the power to change it. At the end of the day, work is the vehicle, the engine that helps create life experiences; it is not the overall measure of your being.
