What I want least, is worse than all the other things I don’t want.

➜ Do I want to wake up at 5:20 to go to the gym? Of course not.

➜ Do I want to feel the anxiety I get just before I go on stage at a conference? Of course not.

➜ Do I want to spend as much time as I do sitting on Zoom meetings? Of course not.

Most of the time I don’t want to do what it is that I have to do to be successful, stay healthy, and make the impact that I want in the world.

But I’d rather be successful, healthy, and helpful — than the alternative.

What I’m not saying is that you need to put your head down and grind endlessly, day after day, as if life is nothing more than a series of have-to’s and should-do’s. That’s not sustainable, nor is it truly aligned with success.

What I am saying is that you have the power of choice. You get to decide the outcomes you want and then consciously choose the actions that will align the results. It’s about understanding that each day presents choices that move you closer to the life and results you desire. Whether it’s stepping into discomfort, embracing challenges, or pushing past what feels easy — each action is driven by the goals you’ve chosen.

That’s not to say it’s always an easy choice. I mean… I have to intentionally set my alarm for 5:20. Then I have to choose to stop hitting snooze. Then I have to choose turn on the bedside table lamp so I don’t accidentally drift back to sleep. Then I have to actually get out of my very warm and very comfortable bed. And then I have to choose to get ready for the gym and go do the darn thing.

Sometimes those are easy choices. I like feeling healthy.

Other times those are difficult choices that I mentally grapple with throughout the entire process. And if I’m being honest, sometimes I choose to not turn on the bedside table lamp and “accidentally” fall back asleep.

And then I get to choose again another day. And be healthy in the way I ultimately want.

Think about it for yourself…

➜ Do you want to have difficult conversations with underperforming team members? Of course not.

➜ Do you want to navigate conflicts between key stakeholders when everyone’s got competing priorities? Of course not.

➜ Do you want to take the time to review every aspect of a major strategic decision, knowing it could make or break the company? Of course not.

But do you know what you don’t want the most?

To be ineffective and unsuccessful. To be the leader of an underperforming organization. To be unhappy everyday doing the thing you spend most of your time doing (working).

So all the things that you don’t want to do? — You don’t want to do them, less than the thing you don’t want most.

It takes things like discipline, determination, resilience, and commitment. And it takes an understanding that your mindset may waiver from time to time, and that you can always choose again another day.

When you can get yourself to choose to do the things that you don’t necessarily want to do, but that you know are critical for achieving the things you do want, then you get the results that most people choose not to work for.

Here’s the silver lining — NONE of this has to be done alone. You can have someone in your corner helping you get through those conversations, those conflicts, and those strategic decisions. You can have someone help you realign your choices on the days they feel the most difficult. Someone to remind you of how strong you are on the days you feel a bit weak. And someone to help you find grace and humor for yourself on the days you “accidentally” don’t turn on the bedside table lamp.

I love being that someone for my clients.

I am a coach and consultant for leadership teams of high-growth organizations, and I support leaders with these types of choices every day. That’s part of my job. To help leaders become more effective and successful. To enhance their ability to do the things they need to do, in order to close the gap between where they are now and where they want to be.

The leadership teams I work with want bigger and better, and they know that what got them where they are now won’t get them where they want to go next. And we work together to get them from now to next by leveraging their collective strength, solving their people-problems, and making real progress.

So if you have a desire to move in a forward direction, but you’re finding yourself tolerating things you don’t have to and ignoring things that you shouldn’t — then let’s talk. We won’t discuss magic wands or miracle cures. We’ll talk about what it will take to see real progress. And then we’ll determine how to make moves that are simple yet profound.

Use this link to set up an Intro Call. You’ll share about yourself and your organization, and I’ll share about me and my work. We’ll explore your concerns and goals, and decide if we’d be a good fit to work together. By the end of the call we’ll see if it makes sense to move forward.

This won’t commit you to becoming a client. But you might want to 😉