Grace and I (Kelsey 🙂 are excited to introduce you to someone who always shines a light into our personal and professional lives, Drew Sannes.
Drew works for Light Consulting and shares on the importance of leaning into your values in order to find alignment. Drew’s word for the year is “alignment”. Do you have a word for the year?
We know her message will inspire you today, happy reading!
From the desk of Drew Sannes,
As a young individual starting out on my professional journey, I feel the pressure to grind and hustle, and make the most of my waking hours (if I could find a way to be more productive while asleep, I would). I’m going to take a guess that most of you can relate to this feeling.
I’m not sure why we feel this extreme urgency to do all the things ASAP, but we do! I’m sure it has to do with societal expectations, social media, proving our self-worth, etcetera.
There are 24 hours in a day → 168 hours in a week→ 8,736 hours in a year. I’ve got roughly 35 years until I hit the average retirement age, which equals 305,760 hours.
Further breaking that down, into typical working hours (40/week), that leaves me with just 72,800 hours to make something of myself professionally (not including hours put in outside typical working hours).
It’s overwhelming to look at that number, because it makes me wonder how the h*ll a person is supposed to sustain motivation and energy for that long!
If we are spending so much time at work, we should probably figure out how to make those hours enjoyable, right?
People want money, and don’t get me wrong, I want and need money too.
Money can’t be all you chase, though.
Taking a job for the attractive paycheck (if it’s a bad cultural fit) will eventually wear on a person, causing disengagement, resentment, and burnout. Is the money really worth it then?
I believe the best way to avoid and prevent burnout is to intentionally seek opportunities that align with your personal values. Although it’s easier said than done, it’s important to think before you say “yes” to opportunities.
Take time to consider the reasons why you should say “yes”, and make sure to think deeper than the dollar signs.
Is saying “yes” going to bring you energy and excitement, or is it going to end up overwhelming and draining you?
You deserve to build a life of fulfilment and alignment, whatever that may look like for you. It won’t always be easy, but it will fill you with a sense of peace, intrinsically motivated to pursue opportunities where your skills and talents will shine. If you carve out a life of intentionality and purpose, you will hopefully be far removed from any sign of burnout, able to show up at work and home every day as your best self.
When I finished up my basketball career overseas, I wasn’t sure what my next step would be.
With bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration, I had no idea what my professional path would look like. After a few months of scouring job postings, making connections, and talking with mentors, I was introduced to Sarah West.
I left our initial meeting with a job offer and excitement for what was to come. I knew it would be a great fit in terms of culture, values, and personalities – the technical aspects of the job would come with time (I hoped). Since accepting the job two years ago, I’ve experienced more growth than I could imagine, both professionally and personally.
Finding a company whose values aligned so well with mine, has allowed me to lean into my personal values and purpose, learning so much about who I am and who I want to be.
I realize it’s not always the case that you land with a great person/company on the first try, but that doesn’t mean you won’t get there! Whether you feel it’s time to go out and seek a better culture fit, or you want to spark a cultural change where you’re currently at, act with intentionality.
Avoid and prevent burnout by living authentically, using your values to guide your actions, pointing you in the right direction toward a life of alignment and fulfilment.
(p.s. Alignment is my Word for 2022, so please forgive me so using it so much…)
If you want to chat, please reach out and we can grab coffee or a beer!
And if you want a way to build the culture in your workplace so you love showing up every day, reach out to Melissa Marshall for a quick chat about how CoreCounts can do just that.