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You are getting bored at your job. Everyday feels like groundhog day.
You worked hard to finish Q1, and then BAM!, another quarter starts up again and you are back at ground zero. You start to wonder, ‘what is all this for?’
Over time this wears on you. I know it did me. I was President of Sales for a national contractor and I was getting bored and started to have these same thoughts and wondering, ‘is there more to life?’
The pay was great, but it was not fulfilling. My job title was cool, but that was losing it’s nice shine. It also didn’t seem to matter that the company was having success. We were growing both top and bottom line, but I was still losing steam for my job.
Yes, I was still getting my job duties done and I could rally and get excited around the sales team, but there was still this void and wondering if there was more to life.
The worst part was it was not just affecting my job. I was starting to get irritable around my wife. I was losing patience with my kids. I even would get discouraged when I talked with my friends who were enjoying their jobs.
My lack of job satisfaction was now pouring into all areas of my life.
I shared this with my executive coach and he pointed me to the idea of needing a vision statement for my life and how that would make my job better.
Like you may be thinking, I was skeptical on how a simple sentence could make my job any better, however, I was willing to try. I needed something.
Proverbs [29:18] says that, “where there is no vision, the people perish.” (KJV)
I knew this verse, but to be honest, it never did anything for me because I didn’t see it to be true. When I thought of the word ‘perish’, I thought it meant people withered up and died. On the ground. Dead.
I didn’t have a vision statement for my life and I wasn’t dead. Plus, I knew tons of other people without vision statements who were also not dead.
I also knew of companies that seemed to be doing OK and they didn’t have a vision statement.
However, I learned of a better definition of ‘perish’ from the book, ‘Checklist for Life for Leaders’:
Perish: or wither away into a meaningless existence marked only by the dull hum of everyday routine
Now that is true!
People do wander around when they don’t have a vision. Companies wander when they don’t have a vision they are going after. Families wander when they don’t have a vision.
I realized I was perishing at my job and in my life. I was just falling into the ‘dull hum of the everyday routine.’
I got up and got ready for work. I then would go to work and go about my day. During my day it was about hitting sales numbers, completing projects on time, submitting reports by their deadline.
Then I would come home and the evenings had a dull hum routine to them. Chauffeur kids around to their activities, have some dinner, get kids ready for bed, and then a minute to relax, then back to bed.
Everyday felt like Groundhog day.
When this happens as a leader, we become very transactional and not relational. We are about getting the results needed, opposed to investing into the people around you.
Over time this leads to burnout.
So, with the help of my executive coach, I put together a vision statement. This process helped me to not only find redeeming qualities of my job but more importantly my life.
My vision statement is, ‘to help connect people to greater performance and more significant purpose.’
This actually changed how I went about my day. Now when I was with my direct reports, instead of just trying to help them hit their sales numbers, I was trying to get them to perform better in all areas of life. How was their time management? How was home life? Their relationships? What was a win they had this past week?
I also was helping them press into discovering what their greater purpose in life, such as friends, family, and legacy conversations.
Not only was my life improving with this new focus, so did their lives. I saw them become better spouses and parents. However, it became very eye opening when our company bottom line also improved!
When I saw this happen, I then wanted to help even more people than my team of 30. I left my corporate job to help others have better performance and more purpose in all areas of life.
Now I get to help clients with this situation on a daily basis. A business leader reaches out because they are burned out. They have lost the motivation. They wonder ‘if this is it’.
We have numerous exercises and discussions, but one of the early results is a vision statement.
They get to better understand what they want in life and what they are going after.
This vision statement gets them excited and fuels their passion, but also comes with a little fear as it is daunting and big. Which it should be!
Before you can inspire others, you first have to be inspired yourself. I found in my own life, plus my sales team at the time, and now hundreds of leaders later, a vision statement brings inspiration.
I encourage you to put together a vision statement. If you need help, you can check out the FREE resources I have put in the comments. If you need additional help, then reach out.
Heck, I love helping people find their vision……it is my vision statement!
Thanks for reading,
Cory
Photo by Marc-Olivier Jodoin on Unsplash
Also, while you are at my website, check out the 50th Episode of the ‘Win at Home First’ podcast.
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