This first couple months with my new team has been a roller coaster. I have had days of being utterly lost and overwhelmed and days where I feel like the most creative recruiter on Earth. I make mistakes all the time. The learning curve has been steep and arduous and I’ve had to really define my process. And just when I think I’ve got it down, I make a mistake and realize how little I know. But there are also moments when I have a breakthrough and make a great connection or help someone else who is struggling too.
The diligence and perseverance it takes to learn something new can be draining especially when coupled with knowing that people are relying on you to deliver. The pressure can be immense. One of the hardest things I’m learning is that and I don’t have to beat myself up in order to make progress. And that it’s ok to have some fun while I’m going through the growing pains.
I think it’s possible to redefine our sense of “fun” and bridge the gap between work and play. There is meaning in the hard stuff. Solving problems and inventing new ways of doing things and using creativity has its own rewards. Anyone can push a button all day every day, but taking risks and changing the process and not settling for bare minimum brings progress and meaning and moments of joy. It always feels scary to jump into the deep end, but when you resurface you have newfound confidence. You can speak eloquently about what you do and the people you support. You start to know yourself better and your mission grows.
And we can do this by seeking challenges and seeing beyond the typical. By not being the button pusher. By using our unique creative genius to continually surprise others and surface new ideas. By doing the unexpected not only will you grow, but those around you will grow as well.
I’m looking at fun as an opportunity to face daily challenges with gusto and grit. By making contact with the people who don’t want to trust me. By going above and beyond what’s expected and delighting someone. By relishing the hard work that others shy away from. And by growing my mission every step of the way, up or down, good or bad, succeed or fail.
If I knew everything about recruiting I’d probably be ready to move on to another job. It’s why I left rowing after 17 years. I had reached my limit of where I could take my career in the sport. And I wasn’t being challenged on the scale or scope I wanted and there weren’t enough opportunities to grow and progress.
Now, I look up and I see a road without an end, a path that I’m paving. There is growth and opportunity ahead. I’m ready to face all the challenges. All the failures. All the highs and lows. Give it all to me. I’m up for it. And I’m gonna have some fun getting after it.
