The Challenges Of The Ambitious Professional & Shifting Your Perspective
My clients come to me to learn tools to help reframe their business challenges and uncover their ability to navigate their career journey with less stress and anxiety. The question they ask frequently is, “What can I do to build up my confidence quickly?” They are busy professionals in career transitions and business expansions who want to reclaim time to work on purpose-driven projects and recover from an overachieving, workaholic lifestyle.
My clients are intelligent and hardworking people who know how to focus on their future goals while overcoming past challenges. They are looking for a shortcut to get back to loving their lives while still thriving in business.
Perspective: High Expectations
Another specific challenge my clients are facing is the “always-on” work culture. Along with managing very demanding businesses and customers, my clients struggle to meet the high expectations they have set for themselves. They feel frustrated and don’t know exactly how to get their lives on the right track.
Throughout the day, there are daily crises that erupt that they have to jump into and quickly resolve. These distractions train the brain to look for more emergencies and block people from being able to step back to strategically review their work or career options.
They work on their phones at home after hours and on vacation, so their minds never really get a break. Often, there’s not enough time for rest, so they become sleep deprived. Many also tend to have poor diets that zap their energy.
Perspective: Fear
On top of all these busy professionals have to deal with, there’s often an ever-present fear that drives them. Fear of failure, fear of letting others down, fear of being found out as an imposter, fear of success, and fear of missing out on opportunities, to name a few.
I work with many clients on overcoming imposter syndrome: they know they have achieved so much, yet they don’t necessarily feel qualified to be in their role, leading to the self-imposed pressure to “prove themselves.”
Transforming Perspective
One of the big ideas that helps my clients transform their relationship with stress is shifting perspective from reactive to proactive. You can’t change other people, but you can always change your attitude and response to them.
What would change for you if you stopped waiting for other people to “act right” or “do things the right way”?
My clients are relieved to learn that they can get quick results when they commit to trying new habits. With my help, they get to experience the amazing power of small changes, support, and accountability.
Excerpt from the new bestselling book Pressure Makes Diamonds: Simple Habits for Busy Professionals to Break the Burnout Cycle by certified business transitions coach and speaker Victoria Hepburn, ACC.