When you’re just starting out or transitioning to a new organization, it’s hard to make sense of the workplace. I wish I’d learned this lesson earlier in my career. When faced with challenges, I reached out to trusted friends, peers, and experts for guidance instead of trying to accomplish everything on my own. I hired a small team to support my business rebranding. When I returned back to my life after the workshop, I brought these lessons with me. For others, it was taking a leap of faith by finally deciding to start their own business, gain a new skill or think differently about safety versus risk. For me, it was realizing that being vulnerable and open to change reduced my desire to control uncertainty and enabled my ability to be in the present moment. Each person in the workshop took away their own golden nuggets. Throughout the rest of the workshop, there were several other activities, including yoga classes and meditation sessions, that challenged me to reveal my vulnerabilities. What if, going forward, I dared to reveal more of the emotional parts of myself that I had so carefully kept locked away? Later in the workshop, I had an epiphany. I had let my walls down a bit and I felt better. A couple of minutes in, I saw gentle nods from the other group members. With nowhere to hide, I (reluctantly) began sharing my results. My financials didn’t seem to be on track either. One year into my startup, I was struggling to attract the right clients, market my services, find a balance between my work and my personal life, and avoid burnout. I was still figuring things out as an entrepreneur. In the corporate world, I was vigilant about putting on my game face and not letting coworkers see me sweat. Being vulnerable in front of 20 strangers - whom I’d known for less than two hours - felt like stepping into the center of a combat zone. “Would you like to share your results with us?” My face burned. But none of that seemed like a big deal when I looked down at my sheet.
I had just started a new business, experienced great success in the corporate world, and was a newly minted PhD from a top research school. It had only been a few minutes and I was already having an existential crisis. Four for fun, two for family and one for finances. Inside each segment, we were asked to write a number to show how “satisfied” we felt in that area of our lives, with one being very dissatisfied and 10 being very satisfied. The circle was divided into eight equal segments: Career. We were each handed a sheet of paper with a circle printed at its center. I met 19 other people from across the globe, we introduced ourselves, and then, we were asked to complete a self-reflection exercise. Walking into my first session, everything seemed normal. See more from Ascend here.Įarly this year, I attended a three-week long workshop to help me improve my productivity and wellbeing.
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