Things I want to punch

Intentionality: This bird gets it!

Forget passion. Instead, what do you want to punch, asks Leap Frog author and acquaintance Nathalie Molina Niño. She knows a thing or five about this. She has started, funded, or grown numerous companies, among other countless achievements. 

Her recently-published book is directed at women entrepreneurs, but it's a good question for all of us to think about if we want to make the world a better place, improve our own experience, or make a difference in some way. 

Do what you love? 

The huge focus of the last decade or so on following your passion or doing what you love makes sense for some, but not everyone is clear about what that is. Some of us never dreamed, and some have no time because we're working too much or caring for others. Even if we are clear, we may be clueless about how to prioritize it or, ideally, make a living at it. 

So instead, consider: What do you want to fix? What would you like to be different? What makes you mad? Getting clear on this might just lead you to uncover those beneath-the-surface passions. We don't need to be visionaries to change the world, start a business, or even find more satisfaction in our lives. What makes us mad could be enough. 

...we have endless opportunities

Molina Niño suggests we list the 10 things we want to punch. That's where the opportunities lie. Who can't come up with a list of 10? The book is filled with hacks for self-employment or for those who want to scale their business; it's also loaded with success stories that can be applied to life experiences outside of self-employment.  

Corporate culture is one of those things that's had my back up for most of my working life. I have long felt that corporate life is unhealthy—yet that's where I spend most of my days. I found evidence of that again just this week. 

Empowerment? Not so much... .

Here's (just) one of those things I'd like to punch. I had my annual review, an archaic process that ultimately exists for two reasons: a paper trail for performance issues, and compensation—what your pay should be. The implied or stated intent, however, is to help employees grow, improve, and stay focused on objectives. 

There are better ways... 

There wasn't anything wrong with my review. I do my work, and I do it well. But I find even good reviews undermine that intent because 1) someone else decides my worth, what I'm good at, and my 'growth opportunities' largely based on their bias and opinion (and of course, company needs, not mine), and 2) there are better ways to motivate and offer feedback. True, I gave them permission in exchange for a paycheck. If 'driving performance' to increase earnings is the organization's modus operandi, which, frankly, is true of nearly all corporations, there are better ways. Some of the larger Fortune 500 companies already know this and do it differently. 

Research shows that when we're able to live more purposefully and authentically, when we experience more satisfaction, we're actually more productive, at work or in life overall. Most of us already know what we do well, where we have room to grow, and at least have an inkling of what we want our life experience to be like. But we settle, often for the 'security' of a paycheck or because that's what we know. 

We don't have to.  

Ask why

An exercise during a recent online workshop asked us to find the 'why' behind the choices we make and actions we take. It asked us to go deeper than the traditional 'ask why five times' per the Lean process from which it derived, and instead ask seven times to find our ultimate intrinsic motivation. 

While I haven't gone that deep yet, one layer of my why is to help people change the way they experience work, and to humanize the workplace. I do this with some coaching clients, and to a lesser degree, in my communications role. But Nathalie's question, the deep dive into why, and my review, piqued my curiosity about how I might take this further. I don't have answers yet, but it feels worthy of exploring.  

Anger motivates 

Did you read my recent post about anger? Anger is information, and it's loaded with energy. Certainly there are more things I want to proverbially punch, and I'm sure you have a few, too. This is good—it means you can use that information to change the world for the better. 

We don't need to impact or influence thousands or even hundreds of people. One small change in ourselves, be it action step or mindset, also leads to change in our immediate sphere, and that leads to the butterfly effect that radiates outward and ultimately creates positive change in the world. We have more power than we think we do. 

Do what's yours to do

We don't have to want to change the world, but most of us have something in our lives we'd like to be different, whether at work, at home, or when we're out in the world, even among friends and family. 

We don't even have to know exactly what it is, or how to do it. What we must do is notice what isn't fair, isn't right, or doesn't work. As noted, even the smallest action can create big change. 

Know your value, know your worth. Then do what shows up in front of you—whether it's an idea, a cause, an action step—because it will. And if you know why it's important to you, you can't be stopped. 

So what makes you angry? What do you want to punch? 


If you like this post, or this blog resonates with you in any way, please feel free to share it, comment below, or send me a message. I'm also available for one-on-one coaching—you can find out more here.