Are you ready to level up?
When I was younger, I loved video games, specifically, Super Mario Brothers. Little Mario traveled his way through all sorts of obstacles and challenges, bumping into mushrooms, dodging flaming balls, and jumping on turtles, all in an attempt to rescue the princess.
I remember the sense of accomplishment when Mario achieved the next milestone, but that dopamine hit didn’t last long. As soon as I made it to the next level, the game got more difficult. The threats were greater, the challenges harder, and the next level seemed impossible. I had a couple of choices: I could keep playing the levels I’d already passed. After all, I knew the tricks and shortcuts, and every time I went through those levels, they got a little easier. Or I could try the next level where I was most certainly going to fail.
Like a video game, life is a series of challenges, obstacles, lessons, and growth. It can feel like the second you recover from one challenge, you are confronted with another. You put in the work, you learn, you grow, you overcome, yet there always seems to be another challenge ahead.
Just like a video game, life is a series of opportunities to level up.
Think of your life as a series of levels. In level 1, childhood, you learn the basics of life: How to walk, talk, eat. Quicker than you realize, you advance from one level to the next, learning to work with others, problem solve, live on your own. All the skills you learn in level 1 build in level 2. You’ll still need to know how to walk, talk, and eat in level 2, but it won’t solve all your problems. That is something we constantly forget. While the skills we’ve learned are helpful, what worked to win in level 1 and 2, won’t always work in level 3 and 4.
The same is true in any time or place of change. When your team is changing at work, you’re starting a new level. New circumstances, new skills, new challenges, new teammates. The way you’ve always done things isn’t always going to work.
Leveling up often happens without you even realizing. Once you find yourself outside of your comfort zone, feeling stuck, scared, or lost, you’ve probably leveled up. The real question is, how do you find comfort and success in this new level of your life?
Whether it is learning to walk, getting through high school (you couldn’t pay me enough to do that again), starting a new job, or building relationships, we face obstacles, learn, make a plan, and move forward. We can either play it safe and do what we’ve always done, or we can choose to tackle the next level. The only way to achieve our potential (or save the princess) is to embrace the discomfort of the unknown.
Over the next several weeks, we will look at ways to level up. So, I have two questions for you, and you can reply directly to this email with your answers:
- If your life were a video game, what game would it be?
- Where in your life would you most like to level up and why?
Leave a comment with your answers.
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Pay attention to your inner dialogue.
Your brain can’t always make the leap from negative to positive, but it can go from negative to realistic. Rather than, “I just can’t do this anymore”, try “It is what it is. I’ve made it this far. I’ll figure it out.” #MindfulMonday ... See MoreSee Less
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What’s on your “Got it Done list” this week? ✅ Lean In ... See MoreSee Less
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I’ve heard some also call it a “Tada” list.
1) wrote a letter to my goddaughter who I haven’t seen for years. ✅2) made cheese for the first time✅ 3) agreed to teach Sunday school for the first time since covid ✅4) finalised my list of 50 things to do before 50 and bought a pretty notebook to journal my progress✅
I’ve seen the difference great leaders can make in their team’s ability to manage stress and beat burnout. I have also learned that the ability to embrace uncertainty, navigate ambiguity, and use adversity as a tool for growth are the new leadership currency and the fastest path to resilience.
A huge gratitude shout out to HR.com for featuring me on the cover of their Leadership Excellence magazine! We got to dig into the 3 Leadership Imperatives to Build Resilient Leaders, Teams, and Organizations in 2023. Check out the cover story here! 👇
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So proud of you! Amazing 💫
👏🎉 Congrats Anne.
Brilliant!!!!!!
Write this question on a sticky note and place it at your desk or wherever you spend a lot of time. Each day this week (or even multiple times a day), ask yourself:
What is one small thing that will help me right now?
When I asked myself this question during my week, here are a few of the things I choose:
- Snuggling with my dogs between Zoom meetings, even if it was just a minute or two.
- Making time to take a walk (when I felt like I didn’t have the time).
- Taking a horseback riding lesson.
- Taking three deep breaths.
- Asking for help.
None of these actions are huge, but every single one of them made me feel like I was in control of my day, rather than my day in control of me. ... See MoreSee Less
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✔ On my mirror ...
We have a finite amount of attention, so it is important to be deliberate about where we focus it. While it may be tempting to knock out an email at a red light or respond to that text while having a meal with a friend, practice being present.
The more often you practice, the easier it gets. Behave your way into the life you want. #MindfulMonday ... See MoreSee Less
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🎈🎈🎈🎈
Take a moment. 🧘♀️ ... See MoreSee Less
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That felt so good. Thank you
If you are local to Austin, Texas, I would encourage you to take advantage of this free event hosted by NAMI Central Texas.
Millions of people in the United States are affected by mental illness every year, and the Covid-19 pandemic only further exposed the shortcomings of the American mental health system.
Help is here. You are never alone. ... See MoreSee Less
BookPeople Presents: Ken Duckworth - You Are Not Alone
www.eventbrite.com
BookPeople welcomes Ken Duckworth to celebrate the release of You Are Not Alone.Comment on Facebook
Having the best time in Las Vegas with ASSA ABLOY! Honored to spend time with their amazing sales team. #bettertogether ... See MoreSee Less
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Gooooo Anne!!!!