Monday Morning Motivation: Go At Your Own Pace!

Monday Morning Motivation:
Go At Your Own Pace!

Okay you know where I’m going with this one, don’t you? Go at your own pace, run your own race, stay on your own mat, they’re all variations of the same theme and it’s one I talk about a lot.

Even before Good Enough Mother was published, I felt this way. For someone who thrives on the intensity of competition, I have always hated competitive parenting; in fact, it’s one of the 10 from GEM. In the years that I have been honing the GEM message, I’ve found that extends to beyond raising children and also encompasses career, home life, hair growth, physical fitness; oh my the list goes on and on.

Let me tell you what I mean: Last night I was driving from Denver to Breckenridge where we’re shooting Sweet Retreats today. As soon as I started to climb into the mountains it began to snow; the higher I climbed, the harder it snowed. Now, I have driven in snow and I have driven in the mountains but it’s been at least 25 years since I’ve driven in snowy mountains. That was not the case for all the drivers zipping by me, locals for whom this was just another day in paradise. I started to panic a little bit, especially upon seeing the “Icy Roads Ahead” signs blinking ominously.

So I pulled over to the right side of the road and slowed W-A-Y down and drove that way for the next 20 miles. When I turned off the highway, I continued to drive slower than the rest, as the others zipped by, giving me dirty looks. I arrived at our destination, later than I had anticipated but in my own time and alive. Looking back on that drive, I realized it was a perfect metaphor for my life and maybe yours, too.

See not that long ago, I was doing a job that I enjoyed when I started it but had sort of become less enamored with. Once the door to TV news was closed, I worked hard on the GEM brand, clarifying the brand, honing the message and reaching out to like-minded groups. It was not a fast or easy process, in fact, as I’ve noted before, this has been eight years in the making. But guess what?

IT’S HAPPENING!

We’ve grown immensely this past year; of course you know Ella’s been a huge help and great addition to the operation but we’ve also had to add a marketing and PR team too. You’ll be hearing more about them in the coming weeks.

That growth didn’t happen overnight, it was slow (painfully so at times) and plodding but as I’ve said before building that brick wall, that legacy, is not something that happens in days, weeks or even months. That is a process that is methodical and needs to be done in your own time. You know what that means right?

Pull over and go slow.

Go at your own pace.

Run your own race.

Stay on your own mat.

Listen to your inner voice, and follow what YOU know is right for you. You will get there. It may be later than you anticipated but you will arrive.

I’ll see you there!

When was the last time you consciously had to slow down in your life or career? Did if frustrate you or did you look at it as a chance to learn and grow?