Do the Hard Things

“Do the hard things” is a mantra I adopted at work several years ago. This mantra served me before the pandemic and after. It’s worked well for organizational changes and strategy shifts. It’s been a guiding principle as beloved colleagues and trusted mentors departed. It’s my go-to when handed a mess not of my own making and being told to make it work.

What happens when the “hard things” at your job get superseded by the “really hard things” at home? Since April of this year, my life has been consumed with worry over an aging parent and his journey through cancer treatment, recovery, and a quick re-emergence of the disease. The last two months have involved extended hospital stays, a weekend in intensive care, and nearly daily visits to a sub-acute clinic. This last week has been about helping as my mom and sister navigated his return to at-home care.

“Do the hard things” has meant adjusting priorities, making sacrifices, and recognizing my limits and strengths. 

I have not been my best at work this year, at least not in the way I am expected to. I have not managed change remarkably well. I have struggled with prioritization, urgency, and difficult conversations. Burnout has been lurking in the shadows since at least late June.

“Do the hard things” has meant accepting defeat more days than usual, acknowledging my missteps, and being candid about what I have been going through (though that has only come recently).

I’ve been seeing work through a bit of a fog most of this year. Clarity of thought and purpose has been stored and depleted in the service of family as we collectively go through something.

And we’re not done with these travails.

I took the whole of Thanksgiving week off. The primary purpose was to be available for whatever was needed as my father transitioned to home care and started a new treatment. It’s also been a chance to recharge and reset for the other aspects of my life. 

I’m returning to work on Monday with some strategies and tactics that I hope will get my activity back towards the type of leader, manager, and colleague I expect of myself. I also hope for the continued grace and compassion from those around me as we support each other to “do the hard things” and get through them.