Grit & Vision

The last year+ has been somewhat of a blur for me and I’m sure for a number of you as the pandemic continued to shift our work styles and lifestyle norms. For me, it was also a year of hard work, reflection, and ultimately change (I left my last company to take a sabbatical).

I’m no stranger to hard work, in fact, one of my motos is “work hard play hard” and I’ve tried to live by that my entire career. But hard work on its own isn’t fulfilling unless you have a vision and/or understand how you influence/contribute to that vision. When that hard work feels natural and gives you energy, then you have found passion and drive. It’s incredibly hard to achieve and even if you do, that feeling can be lost and never found again.

I’ve been thinking a lot about my passions, the happiness I seek, and the outcomes I can control; each of us will define these differently and it’s worth taking moment to write these down. For me, I believe you need a combination of “grit” to survive and push yourself AND you need a “vision” or north star to guide you along that journey. One without the other isn’t enough in my opinion and often leads to burnout (yourselves and others around you), or constantly spinning and being reactional, and ultimately unhappy with the outcomes you are achieving.

My current sabbatical has given me some time to think about a vision for the future and I’m starting to feel the grit and fight to make this vision a reality one day for myself and others around me. I hope to share more in the coming months, but in the meantime, reflect and ask yourself if you have “grit and vision” at this moment? If you do, hold on to it and share your story, help others, and give back. If you don’t, reflect on why, make adjustments, seek guidance from friends, family, and colleagues. You’d be surprised how much control you really have over your outcomes.

Ultimately seek passion and purpose through grit and vision.