Hi friends,
If I asked you to tell me all about yourself, where would you start?
More than likely, you’d reach for your résumé: what you do, where you work, where you’re from, what college you went to. Maybe you’d tell me if you’re married or single. And as a dog lover, I’d hope you’d mention your dogs.
But something curious happens when we’re asked to tell someone about a person we love or admire. We rarely share just their résumé. We talk about the individual.
Let me tell you about two of my favorite humans: my older brothers.
If I were telling you about my oldest brother, Travis, I’d probably start by saying he’s a music educator for middle and high school students. Then I’d tell you how beloved he is by his students, how he goes above and beyond for his class, and how proud he is when they succeed. We have a joke in our family that if you look up the nicest person in the world in a dictionary – you’d find a picture of my brother Travis. I’ve always been so proud of my brother because he truly leads with his heart. He’s changed the world for the better by helping so many kids through his passion for music.
My brother Tanner is the fourth generation to run our family bank, Swedish American State Bank, in my hometown of Cortland, Kansas. But what I love most about Tanner is that he’s always up to something. Just like my grandpa Herb, He loves projects and piddling around. He recently bought a farm he named Beaverly Hills (fitting for North Central Kansas) and that keeps him plenty busy and no shortage of projects. He’s always trying new things - learning to make kombucha, baking sourdough bread, creating a hydroponic garden... lol.
He loves hunting and fishing, and when you’re with him – you’re guaranteed a good time. He truly cares about our hometown, and I’m so proud of what he’s done with our family bank.
Their work matters. It’s part of their story. But it isn’t the whole story. What I love most about my brothers has far more to do with who they are than what they do.
Why this matters to YOU
Gallup reports that 76% of employees experience burnout at work at least sometimes. And in a longitudinal study of 2,121 working adults, performance-based self-esteem... when a person’s worth depends on achievement... was the strongest predictor of burnout over time. YIKES! Hold your achievement horses and take some time for FUN.
For high achievers, it can be easy to tie our identity to what we accomplish, who we help, and how well we serve. Those things can be meaningful. But when they become the only way we measure our value, we can lose touch with the person underneath the performance.
A Tuesday Tip: Remember who you are beyond what you do. Set a BUTTERFLY GOAL.
Ask yourself:
What would the people who love me say about me that isn’t on my résumé?
What brings me joy or makes me feel like myself outside of work and responsibility?
Who am I becoming - not just achieving?
This is one reason I believe in Butterfly Goals. They aren’t another item to prove you can achieve more. They’re goals that help you reconnect with yourself and grow into someone new along the way. They remind you that there is a whole life and a whole person beyond the to-do list.
So this week, let your résumé tell part of your story. And make a little room for the rest of you, too.
Keep shining. Be who you came to be.
