Happy Anniversary to Me

Author James Clear says, “ Many rewards in life will elude you if you’re not willing to be a little uncomfortable at first.”   For the majority of my adult career, I have worked with leaders to help them be excellent ones.  And through a variety of different career roles, I have continued that work.  

Five years ago today, I hung my own shingle, MWS Executive Coaching.  As excited as I was, I will admit, I was a bit nervous.  Not because I didn’t think I was ready.  I was.  The nervousness came from having never embarked on an endeavor such as this.  For more than 35 years, I had the safety and security of the companies I had worked with.  I had the support, camaraderie, and I was part of a team.  And now, it was just me.   

But I jumped in with both feet and have never looked back.   I am a business owner.  There is a deep level of pride in that for me.   Someone said to me last week, “you give work ethic a new meaning.”  

So, here are some of the lessons I have learned or that have been reinforced along the way in the past five years, (in no particular order):

• Relationships are everything
• Do the very best work you can do, no corner cutting, no easy route
• Challenge yourself … often
• Be available, even when sometimes it isn’t always convenient
• Be responsive.  Get back to people as quickly as you can… they reached out because they need you
• Enjoy what you do so much that it doesn’t feel like work
• Cherish your bookkeeper and your IT person and tell them often how much you value them
• Have fun!
• Pray and be grateful every day
• Take time to pause … life goes fast

I know there will be many more lessons and for however many more years I will be in this playground, I know that I will enjoy it to the fullest, continuing to learn and grow.  

Happy Anniversary to me!!  Here’s to the next however many!  I am blessed and grateful to so many of you.