Have you ever had the experience when you think you ‘know’ something and then take it for granted?
But when you’re reminded of it again – you’re like ‘WOW’ & it hits you like a ton of bricks (well not literally that would be painful) ?
Well I had that pleasant experience yesterday when I was coaching a wonderful client, who wanted things to be different in her working life! She’s made the exciting decision to embrace life as a freelancer & is building up a new exciting business. Over the first couple of sessions we’ve been digging deep to uncover & explore what makes her tick; what gets her motivated & which of the 8 Talent Dynamics profiles she is more aligned with.
It’s been super-fun as she’s getting to decide what she wants … on HER terms now. Even though this may seem simple on the surface, when you’ve got the paintbrush in your hands & designing what want to go after in the future – it can really make you think, question yourself & at times feel like you’re battling between what you WANT to do & what you ‘should’ do!
So there we were on Skype and exploring a business idea that to me seemed like a perfect fit based upon all the tasks & exploring that we’ve done so far (plus having the benefit of looking at things objectively for her!) and she says,
“But that just seems so easy to me – why would people pay me for that?”.
But that’s the point – which so many people miss! You see, when you’re doing something that’s following your talents; is aligned with what’s important to YOU & you’re passionate about … it can feel EASY and there’s nothing at all wrong with that!!! You’ve actually hit the bulls-eye & should be jumping up & down with a sense of ‘woooo hoooo’!
It was such a massive lightbulb moment for her & also a great reminder to me – that too many people out there (& maybe even you) have the mindset that their work needs to be hard!
Think about it ‘logically’ – there are so many things that you would find incredibly hard but others would find relatively easy!
Like for me anything to do with numbers, finances or accounts makes my head hurt. Even though I’ve learnt what I need to so that I can ‘get by’ & understand the fundamentals. But that’s why it’s fantastic to have people in the world called Accountants – who can take care of that sort of stuff for me, whilst making it look oh so easy!
The list is really endless for all the things that I would find hard ….. DIY (that’s my wife’s area of expertise & passion!) ; servicing my car; cutting my hair …. and that’s why I’m so grateful that there are those folks out there who do this & find it easy too! They’re all offering something of true value – which is why I pay them for their service, knowledge or expertise (well apart from my wife!)
This applies in all areas of your working life – whether for you that’s in a career; job or your own business! So give yourself the permission to embrace things being EASY for you!
Even when things are flowing & easy – you can still feel challenged; pushed out of your comfort zones & get to experience better results & rewards! That’s what will get you to progress & keep those motivation juices flowing, don’t you think?
“Choose a job you love & you will never have to work a day in your life.”
Confucius
So it’s time to turn this into action now – as without that – what’s the point?!?!
- Grab a pen & paper or open up a blank page on your computer/phone – start to capture down all the things in your working life that you enjoy doing & find easy! What patterns do you see emerging & start to notice the real value of those things to your company & other people?
- To cement this further, think about 3 people around you who’d find those things really handwork & they’d be wanting to pull out their hair if they were tasked to do it! Now flip it, would you love to do more of the things that they’d find ‘easy’ or would that be like a nightmare for you?
As always, I’d love to hear your insights, thoughts, questions & examples of this. So take a minute now to drop me a quick comment below.
I look forward to sharing even more tips, strategies & tools with you, so you can get more, better or different from your working life & results.
Bye for now.
Osmaan
