Stretchin’ Like a Rubber Band

Are you comfortable?

I don’t mean in the chair in which you are reading this blog. I mean, in life and in your job.

The comfortable do not grow, because growth lies outside the comfort zone. You must make ongoing decisions to stretch yourself, like a rubber ban that is a useless office supply until it is stretched. Then, and only then, does it do what it was created to do.

I have clients whose bosses annually give them a “stretch assignment.” It’s oversight of an initiative or a project or a task force that goes beyond their normal day-to-day job description. Those leaders know that a little push out of the comfort zone will develop their team member during or on the other side of that endeavor. That employee will have to:

• Draw upon resources they don’t have right now.
• Adapt to a scenario they haven’t seen
• Prioritize their time more strategically to get it all done
• Learn to delegate and thus continue the chain of stretching that leads to development

And ultimately, a benefit is more confidence to the one stretching and succeeding, and a more equipped employee to the leader who stretched him/her.

In your personal life, you have to stretch yourself because no one else will.  And you will be at the same place next year if you don’t! To avoid ruts, you choose a goal that will make you do life differently to rise to the occasion. Here are some categories to consider:

• Physically: sign up for a 5K or half-marathon or mountain-climb
• Spiritually: decided to take a volunteer leadership role in your church or favorite non-profit
• Mentally: pursue a certification or advanced degree
• Emotionally: find a counselor who will help you heal from a trauma
• Financially: open a savings account and begin automatically contributing monthly, to shoot for a long-term goal

Then, once you set that goal, begin to create daily/weekly habits to support achievement of the goal. Put those actions into your calendar. (Where to find the time?) Tell your success partners. Post your goal (and the WHY you are pursuing it) where you can see it often. And STRETCHHHHHH!

Seth Godin: “Whatever the status quo is, changing it gives you the opportunity to be remarkable.”

I want to help you be even more remarkable than you are now. Is this the right time to talk about hiring me as your coach? All high performers have one. Worth scheduling a 45-minute free session to explore coaching? I’m at growingforward@paulcasey.org