Tuning in to New Signals

Today’s post is from Marilyn J. Smith, founder of Consensus Building Partners.

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I am a lawyer, consensus builder, and project manager. I describe myself as a high achiever who loves to win. Now, I am seeing a new signal that is asking me to slow down and pay more internal attention. The old signal encouraged me to numb many things – disregarding fatigue, working and socializing at a pace that moved faster than I did. I may still choose these activities, but they don’t have the same numbing effect they’ve had in the past.

This new signal is now guiding and energizing my professional life. I started seeing it about four years ago while in the midst of a demanding work project. I saw that I was performing effectively under pressure and also that my internal motor seemed to be draining quickly. It was as if I had my foot on the gas and the brake at the same time. The more acclaim I received, the more depleted I felt. As I gradually started to work differently, this new signal became clearer. I’ve always had a desire to focus my professional life on doing good work, having an impact, making a contribution, providing for my family, and supporting my community. This focus remains but the new signal demands that I accomplish these goals in a new way.

For instance, I used to be a great multitasker, and now multitasking doesn’t work. This new signal requires that I focus exclusively on one thing at a time – giving the moment in front of me my full attention. The old signal that got me up in the morning was motivated frequently by overwhelming fear and anger. Fear that I was not accomplishing enough, and anger at all the things that needed to happen that weren’t done yet and at all the people who weren’t “pulling their weight.” That old signal still arrives loud and clear with the sunrise but now I hear the new signal right next to it. The new signal asks that I move through the awakening discomfort momentarily before I jump into action and fire up the rapid response machine.

The old signal demanded that I use my brainpower and analytic memory to figure out the next best step at every moment. This new signal asks that I pause before jumping in to figure things out, fix problems, and set goals. In that short delay, I’m being asked to see clearly what is in front of me and see clearly how it lands inside me – not how I want it to land or how I think I should respond. Once that “moment of impact”” hits and passes, the new signal guides me to choose what’s most important and most valuable at that moment. I notice now that my professional choices are more anchored and my actions are more focused. When I listen to that new signal I have more creativity and energy to execute on my professional goals which include negotiating and closing transactions, training, resolving conflict, project management, and helping people and organizations grow.

So, in this world of free will, I get to choose every moment to hunker down and try harder using the old signal, or to allow the new signal to guide me forward. The new signal is focused first on internal growth. It says that I have nothing to offer the world if I am not growing inside.

I remain highly motivated professionally by my commitment to work for expansion, excellence, profit, and growth in the private and public sectors. This new signal is guiding me to achieve these goals with more peace, joy, trust and clarity.

Marilyn J. Smith is the founder of Consensus Building Partners. She uses legal, consensus-building and project management skills to help clients take informed, integrated and creative action. She has worked with clients on sales & marketing, partnership, governance, financing, real estate, succession planning, commercial, strategic planning, public policy, consumer, education and governmental issues. She received her B.A. from Northwestern University (Evanston, IL) and her J.D. from Columbia University School of Law.