The Achievement Shift

You’re a high flyer at work. You get sh*t done. You’re known for doing whatever it takes to get projects over the line.

Let’s face it, you’re good at achieving. 

Then along comes this bundle of joy, with not a care in the world. No concept of time and space. Just a pure existence. 

An existence that consumes your energy and your time and in return offers you pure love.

You catch glimpses of enjoying this love and for the most part, you’re thinking I need to do stuff. There’s important stuff I’m not doing because the nappy changing, clothes washing, feeding cycle never seems to end. 

You find yourself finishing off dinner, doing the bed and bath time routine, then falling into an exhausted slump on the couch and find yourself asking what did I actually achieve today?

So many executive parents find themselves at a loss after having a child because they can no longer relate to their pre-child achievement criteria of being in control of:

• Getting a project done on time.

• Getting through a task list

• Getting feedback on your progress and performance

After a child is born it’s the polar opposite, things are often out of your control. They rarely run to schedule, the task list gets bigger and no-one gives you feedback on your progress and performance. “You cleaned that bottom meticulously today, well done” – yeah right! 

Feeling like you’re not achieving leads to resentment, frustration and can also lead to anxiety and perceived lack of self-worth, like you’re never doing enough or never get enough done. 

Redefining achievement post children comes down to feeling aligned with your priorities and is a critical factor in aligning family and work.

Without this shift, you’ll be trying to fit a square peg in a round hole and wondering why it’s so draining and difficult.