The will to change
Let’s talk about diminishing returns.
You likely know the topic well.
It’s the point where the effort you put into something starts to exceed what you get out of it.??
I’d estimate that at least 80% of corporate workers are operating well past the point of diminishing returns.?
But since everyone is suffering from the same mass delusion, we keep doing it anyway.?
We keep formatting slides, adding footnotes, and re-reading emails like it makes a difference.?
But it doesn’t.?
It’s basically a racket – a hamster wheel?
The good news is that you can step off.?
And it only takes three ingredients:?
Most people already have #1 and #2?
Even if you think you don’t have #2, you probably do, you’re just lacking confidence because your corporate job has beaten it out of you ??
So what we’re really talking about is #3 - the will to make a change.?
Where does it come from?
How do you get it if it’s missing at the moment??
You’ll need courage.?
Courage is not a superhuman boost of confidence.?
It’s actually a very grounded state of being.?
It’s about being strong when you’re in pain or afraid.?
It’s a quiet and unassuming experience, not an outward performance or bravado.?
It’s a quiet, gentle experience of standing in the face of an obstacle.?
You may or may not need to dig that deep to find it.??
And it may show up in relatively simple ways:?
? The decision to politely push back to work demands made by your boss?
? Telling your partner that you intend to quit your job in the next 6 months
? Closing your laptop at 5pm no matter how much work remains unfinished.?
These are small acts of courage that can make a huge difference.
And the best part is that you can do them right now.?
You don’t need a master plan for where your life is going.?
You just need the tiniest bit of courage and the willingness to step off the hamster wheel, right now.?
When it’s time to make a change, people love to do anything except actually take the steps that will create change.?
They’ll pontificate about the future.?
They’ll analyze their situation ad nauseum?
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Oh - and my favorite - they’ll continuously talk about all of the things that they know they need to do but that they aren’t doing. And then they’ll beat themselves up for it.?
Why do people become workaholics even though it’s miserable?
Well, workaholism often WORKS – especially in the beginning.?
It’s often an effective way to get your way and/or get ahead.
But the strategy absolutely has a limit, and a lot of people have a hard time spotting it.?
Most workaholics I interact with keep over-working even past the point of diminished or no return.?
Because at the end of the day, it’s not about results.?
It’s about a compulsive need.?
They say things like “I used to?
One of my clients is a hard-working do-gooder who recently landed her first board seat.
When asked how she did it, here’s what she said:?
? I did not over-prepare?
? I tapped into my own style?
? I didn’t try that hard
? I am just being me, and it feels new and raw?
Basically she found her flow.?
She connected with her natural talent and energy.?
As the doors opened, she walked through them.?
It all seems so natural and intuitive, but this is NOT what most of us do.?
? We try to force things
? We over-work?
? We try to control and manage everything and everyone.?
A lot of times it works, but it’s so exhausting.
Thanks For Reading!
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Chris