Generally when people talk about “firsts” they refer to babies and toddlers. She got her first tooth today, she rolled over or she took her first steps. The truth is that you go through a million firsts in your lifetime though. First day of school, first time you go on a date, first time you drive, first job, etc. Each time you go through the next big “first” it brings a little anxiety, a bit of fear, but it also brings excitement. I would bet you can remember many of the milestone “firsts” that you had in your lifetime so far and how great you felt after you accomplished them.
Think about the “firsts” that you have in your job now. New things show up every day that you could do, but you need to balance them out with the time you have to devote to them. David Allen said, “You can do anything, but you can’t do everything.” Let’s face it, new things take more time to figure out and accomplish. You may need to ask for help from others in order to get it done. How do you decide?
Here are three things to think about as you consider this decision for yourself:
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Do I have the time to devote to this new “first”, focus on it and do it well?
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Do I have a good system set up to ensure that nothing that is currently in my responsibility will fall apart if I am not there? May be a good time for your team to step up more to help.
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Is this going to bring me the benefits that I am looking for and will it help me achieve a goal I have for myself?
Make sure that you look at all of your options and alternatives as you go through these questions to make your final decision. If you decide to move forward, enjoy it and learn all you can from the experience. However, based on your analysis, you may have to say no to this opportunity. Try not to be too disappointed if that is the case. It just means that something better is going to come along soon and you will want to have the time available to devote to that instead. This is about focusing on the right “firsts.”
This is the perfect example of how a coach can help you. These are the types of decisions that my clients are struggling with and bringing to our coaching sessions. If I can help you move forward, please set up time for a complimentary coaching call. Here is the link: http://susanmbarber.com/schedule-an-appointment/