No One is Coming to Save You

"I can’t do this anymore".

"Work is awful".

"I'm exhausted".

Sound familiar? You’re not alone.

I hear comments like these in coaching sessions with leaders and professionals at ALL levels.

I get it. I said the same things back when I was working 60-80 hour weeks.

It took me a long time to figure out that I HAD A CHOICE.

YOU HAVE A CHOICE too.

Here’s why it’s time to step into this empowering mindset . . .

Comments like these are often the result of being short on team resources and facing high expectations from your company.

The constant pressure to keep up with all the demands with too little support.

The expectation to do (way) more with less.

And if you’re a caring leader who doesn't want to overburden your team – you end up taking on way too much yourself.

Which leaves you feeling exhausted, spread thin and sacrificing your personal time and mental health to keep up with it all.

THIS ISN'T NEW.

I remember early in my corporate career, sitting in a team meeting for a planning session on employee engagement results led by our VP.

Lack of resources and work-life balance were the top two issues (which wasn’t new then either).

They seem at odds, don’t they?

If you had more resources, you could have a better work-life balance. But if you prioritize work-life balance, you may not have enough resources.

Resources always seemed to trump and take the focus.

And I remember wondering in that meeting why isn’t anyone no one was paying attention to the whole work-life balance thing.

People just end up staying in the same old grind – and seriously out of balance.

Waiting to finally solve the resourcing issue.

Waiting for the company to change.

Not taking control of their own workload.

But if you keep waiting, you might be waiting for a long time.

And this approach just ends up hurting performance in the long run.

You see, it is really hard to be your best at work or at home when you are exhausted, spread thin or resent the sacrifice you’re making for your work.

So, recognize that you set the tone for your team and the people around you (for better or worse).

Don’t wait for those above you to change (or you might be waiting awhile).

And whatever level you are at, recognize that YOU HAVE A CHOICE.

What can you do?

Strategically focus on what really matters and do less (not more).

Address those resourcing issues or adjust expectations rather than piling more on.

Say 'no' so you can say 'yes' to what matters more.

Align your actions with your values.

Don’t just profess well-being and work-life balance, practice it and lead by example.

You’ll perform better, lead stronger, and importantly, enjoy your days a whole lot more.

This will benefit you and the people around you.

The constant change and high expectations are not going away, so it’s time for a new approach.

And this change needs to start with YOU.

Because no one is coming to save you.

(We all need this reminder at times).

Have a wonderful weekend!

What Next?

You can sign up for Stacey's masterclass, The Confident "No" here.

Stacey L. Olson is a Leadership and Certified Positive Psychology Coach, has 15 years of corporate experience and has gone through her own transformational change from burning out to balanced in life while performing at a high level (both in her corporate career and own business). She works with professionals who want to work less, live more and be their best even with all the demands, high expectations and messiness of everyday life. Stacey is the founder of The Balanced Leader™ program and offers executive and leadership coaching, workshops, and speaking.