Do you recognise that long slog after returning from a good holiday, ?
The slow churn of getting back into work. Snoozing your alarm on a Monday. A slightly unfocused, apathetic self, returning to the to-do list in that first week back at work.
I returned with this feeling from a holiday a couple of weeks ago. And I was baffled. Why would I feel unfocused when I love the work I do. Coaching global impact professionals to design a career that fills their cup – and does good in the world.
So, why did I feel spiritless coming back to work?
Except when I'm in a 1:1 coaching session with clients, I don't get immediate feedback on many things I do. Only after a few months can I look back at things, identify what works and doesn't, and identify what made a difference.
Clients contact me and book my discovery call after reading what I offer online. I had never talked to them until that point.
More than 50% of you will open this e-mail and read it. Maybe one person replies; sometimes none do. But no reply doesn't mean you are not inspired. It doesn't mean you're not thinking about what I say.
And that's when I realised:
My work is to show up for the "invisible" crowd of people who don't know me yet but need the support I offer.
I show up so those people can get the support they desperately seek.
But that's the tricky bit! No one is patting my shoulder for doing that work. No one is telling me I must give 150% at my job. And as I examined those thoughts, I realised working with the 'invisible' can easily make us feel insignificant.
Why do it in the first place?
Because the invisible work that I do today pays off tomorrow.
I commit to the practice, not the result.
I commit to showing up for that unknown person who needs what I offer but hasn't found me yet. Or isn't in the right headspace yet.
I commit to the invisible part of my work.
You might think this is not relevant to you. I beg to differ.
I know you have invisible commitments. Or maybe you could benefit from one.
Spending Sunday afternoon doing skills training sharpens your skill set for the future. Carving out one hour daily to read books broadens your leadership perspective. Closing your laptop at 5 pm calms your nervous system.
All these commitments have a few things in common:
- These commitments are mostly only visible to you.
- They benefit you in the long term.
- No one's coming to cheer you on or applaud you for doing it.
We make and honour invisible commitments because of the person we want to be.
The career we want to have. The life we want to enjoy. The relationships we want to lead.
So, tell me: Where do you have invisible commitments?
P.S: I've written my invisible commitment on Post-It note and hung it up. You might like to do the same.