Wear the Socks

Every holiday season my favorite online sock company has a Black Friday sale.? And every year, I buy socks. If you could peak into my closet, you would see a pile of very organized, very pretty, brand new socks, still in their package. They are from last year and even possibly the year before.?

Yet, what do I reach for daily?? The worn-out, slightly-holey ones, obviously. Why?? Because they are right in front of me and cozy and familiar. I hesitate to dip into my reserves, especially since they only go on sale once a year. What am I waiting for—a sock-pocalypse?

My stubbornness to wear my new socks came up in a conversation with a client the other day. Like many of us, Jonathan is trying to build new professional “muscle,” navigating a fierce, competitive, unforgiving work environment. It's tough, because we've all found things that work for us, even if they don't put us at the top of our game, and we tend to stick with them. We get momentum from what we know, and change requires effort. I wear the well-worn socks; he uses the old, reliable strategies. I could run out of socks… he could be left behind.

Jonathan isn't just any executive; he's brilliant, kind, and full of potential. But his role now demands more of a "game-face" – something that doesn’t come naturally to him. The shift to being grittier and tougher is vital to his success. He knows he has it in him, and his colleagues do, too. It's just a matter of him reaching inside, dusting off those skills and using them with intention. Like my socks, these skills are buried in the drawer; Jonathan just has to choose to access and practice them. A good leader does not wait for an emergency to work at a skill.

He's putting in the work and laughing at himself as he goes. Building muscle isn't always graceful. Sometimes, the weight feels too heavy and you feel like you're using the wrong movement. But like anyone with determination, intentional practice will get him to where he needs to be.

I finally ripped open a new pair of socks the other day and…well, the universe didn't implode. ?I had to laugh at the absurdity of it.? They are just socks. Jonathan had a similar reaction once he took that tenuous first set of steps.

?Don’t wait for a perfect moment to access the strength you already possess. Step into the challenges in front of you with purpose, even and especially if it feels hard.

?So, laugh a little (or a lot!) and wear the socks.

And a shoutout to two of my closest friends:? Also eat the ice cream