In this episode of “Ask Katrina,” I’m answering a question about dissatisfaction. The question is:
Katrina, my family tells me I’m never satisfied but I just always feel like something is missing. How do I fix it?
Where Does My Dissatisfaction Come from?
We can both agree that fundamentally, you are happy with what you have in life (money, status, family, etc.), which is why you feel so guilty for wanting more at times. You feel like you are being ungrateful for all that you have achieved, earned, and done thus far in your life and your career. You’re not ungrateful, you’re just not where you want to be.
Dissatisfaction presents itself in our lives based on the following:
- Career Targets: you have set your career target on a role that will take, on average, about 10 years to be promoted into.
- Focus on the Now: you aren’t happy in the moment because you aren’t where you want to be
- Speed is Key: you want to shrink 10 years into 5 and you don’t know how
Career Targets
As corporate executives, we are focused on climbing the ladder, and guess what, we do it well!
We work hard, get promoted, and achieve.
We are great achievers.
As we are climbing, we accept that we are going to have some casualties along the way. We are going to work extra hours, miss out on some life events, work more than most, etc. We know these are the trade-offs for success and we accept the trade.
Why?
Because we know where we want to be and what we will have when we get there.
But sometimes we can get a little frustrated that we have to trade so much and are still waiting on our reward.
We also feel a little bit of, let’s be honest here, failure in the fact that we aren’t where we want to be yet.
It feels like being a kid at Christmas all over again. Why is it taking so long to get here?!
We like to feel like we are in control of our lives and the time it’s taking to reach our career target is just far too long in our minds. Until we get where we want to be, we are dissatisfied.
Each promotion we earn gets us closer, and yet it also reminds us that we aren’t where we want to be.
Focus on the Now to Eliminate Dissatisfaction
When we become so focused on achieving, striving, pushing, and reaching an end result, we miss the joy and fun that happens along the way.
Ever been to Disney World?
Have you noticed that there are fun videos, games, and even decor to hold your interest and keep you entertained while you wait? In those moments, you can choose to be frustrated that you are waiting in line for 30 minutes. Or, you could say, “If I hadn’t had to wait, I wouldn’t have been able to take in all of this creativity.” At that moment, you learn to appreciate the wait.
This is how life is too.
If you’re so busy focusing on the end result, you miss the creativity and fun.
You’re not focused on the now.
Decide to enjoy the moment and the dissatisfaction melts away.
Speed is Key
I told you originally that getting to that corporate executive role, from start to finish, takes about 10 years.
And while we say we have accepted the fact that it will take 10 years, the reality, and the true dissatisfaction with all of this is that we are secretly hoping and praying that it will take much less time.
As the promotions happen, we are appreciative but still dissatisfied because it’s not THE promotion.
We look at our careers and our lives and think, “I told myself it would take 10 years but somehow I thought I was better than that and could make it happen faster.”
There is the other piece of dissatisfaction.
You start to ask, “What’s wrong with me?”
And you become dissatisfied with yourself.
If you want to change a 10-year plan into 5, if you want to speed up your trajectory, beating yourself up isn’t the answer.
You have to do what we do in my world, trade dollars for speed.
What does that mean?
It means you pay to learn how to shorten your timeline.
The reality is that you can’t look to the people around you and hope they can tell you.
It took them at least 10 years, which is why they are the ones telling you “you must pay your dues.”
So whether you are almost in the executive seat and want to ensure you land it, you just got into the seat and you want to keep it, or you are a high potential and you want to accelerate, you must surround yourself with clear answers and strategies to help you achieve your ultimate goal.
Because here’s the real secret, as you are learning and growing you clearly know that you are working toward your end result.
This action and knowledge will help you live in the now AND speed up your timeline, which will bring a new level of satisfaction.
If you’re ready to get started, send me a DM (http://m.me/makinglegendaryleaders), and let’s chat.