Ten days after Taylor Swift’s new album and omnipresent song, Anti-Hero was released, I finally got to use the catchiest refrain ever with a coaching client today.
“It’s me. Hi. I’m the problem; it’s me.”
We sang it, of course. Complete with wave.
So often my productivity clients and I are exploring their challenges and discover the many layers. It starts with the symptoms (“I’m always running late” or “I have too much on my to-do list and not getting what I need to done” or “I never seem to make time for myself and my goals“, for some examples) and we try to examine it from other angles to see the root cause.
Sometimes, we’re able to find out environmental factors that contribute to the problem (“My company let go of 5 people and now I’m doing the work of all 5… or, not, actually, but I’m expected to“). We identify them, name them, and try to understand what’s in the Client’s control and what isn’t.
Inevitably, however, we get to the underlying factors, deep in our own DNA and conditioning, that lead to struggles, time and time again. Maybe it’s one of these:
- A skill like learning how to prioritize, or estimate time it’s going to take to do a thing
- A strength, like the confidence you need to say no to an opportunity without fear of what happens if you do
- A competency, like you’re just not GOOD at the thing that’s on your to-do list, and all the extra time in the world isn’t going to change that.
- An unclear goal, or a goal you’re just not as committed to as you claim to be
- A brain factor that might accompany ADHD
When I work with my clients, we look for patterns, and strategize on how to identify them, interrupt them, and build a new bridge above them, relying on the strengths and assets they DO have.
And now, with only my most fun and hip clients who definitely won’t think I’m crazy, we can even put it to a tune.
Because so often, we are the contributing factors to our problems in productivity. When we look closely enough, and have someone who can help guide us on that journey, we can identify those factors and build some new habits to help create a new path to success.
So, when you see that YOU’RE getting in your own way, stop, name it, and, yes, maybe even sing it. It’s the first step to making a change!
