It's not supposed to be easy

In the Hollywood / Instagram / Tiktok curated fairytale, you traverse the corporate ladder through a series of fun experiences and successes while making a ton of money. However, as anyone with over a few years of work experience knows, this is not how the world works. For every success, there will also be frustrations, failures, and other struggles. If you have a decade's worth of experience, at different times, you probably came across many of the challenges listed below:

• A project you poured your blood, sweat, and tears into was abruptly canceled
• You worked for a demanding micromanager
• Your company's stock price collapsed just before your vesting date
• A "less deserving colleague" got promoted ahead of you
• A critical presentation you were giving went sideways
• You felt unappreciated by your management
• You felt overwhelmed and stressed by your job
• Someone took credit for work that you did
• Your manager ignored you and then complained about your performance
• You were bored out of your mind by a project you were on

If you are a senior executive, you have likely also experienced additional hurdles such as:

• Your superstar executive hire didn't work out, and you had to terminate them
• You lost a critical deal right before the quarter end and missed your earnings target
• You woke up one morning to find out you can't export to a 1/3 of your market
• In the span of a few short weeks, it seemed you were no longer able to find parts to build your products to fulfill customer orders
• Your investors gave you a hard time on events beyond your control
• One of your top executives misbehaved and created a PR nightmare for your company

And the list goes on...

In the real world, there are many difficult situations, and that is a key part of the process. It's normal and natural, and managing successfully through these trials and tribulations helps you develop the grit and persistence needed to achieve lasting success. In addition, there can also be many positives:

• You meet some fantastic people and make life-long friends
• You experience how great teamwork can make the dream work
• You learn and master new skills and gain much life wisdom
• You help others develop and reach their full potential
• You get to turn ideas into products that can change industries and people's lives for the better
• You get financial rewards for your efforts

And this list also goes on...

One of life's most important lessons is that you must go through many challenges to both develop to your full potential and also treasure the good times. There are no shortcuts to wisdom. To appreciate sunsets, you need to have been through the darkness, too.

Our problem is that we don't set our expectations correctly because, as the famous Ah-ha song goes, "The Sun always shines on TV." So when we face difficulties, we tend to perceive them as indications of something being amiss in our careers or lives.

While no one says you should continue working for years for a dreadful boss or blindly pursue dead-end projects, it's critical to understand that the journey is not supposed to be easy. By perceiving the challenges as a key part of the overall journey, it will make the struggles more bearable while also helping you gain a greater appreciation for your accomplishments.

It's not supposed to be easy, but with the right attitude, it can be both fulfilling and rewarding.?

#managment #career #careergoals #challenges #business #coaching #leadership