Member-only story
When you work in education there are milestones that are reached that help you to think that you have reached a level of success. Tenure. Completing a 2nd degree. Getting a leadership position among your colleagues.
You’ve worked hard, right? And like I’ve written about before- that hard work buys you equity. It allows for you to make up after a miss or a mistake.
On the other hand, that hard work means that you might be presented with new challenges. Those new challenges can be welcomed or not, but they will arise. While it’s important to rest, and I would never say you should not rest, there is always a time to put away distraction and work on what’s important now.
“Precisely when we think we’ve earned the right to relax our discipline is exactly when we need it most. The payoff for all our efforts? So much more temptation. So many more distractions. So many more opportunities. The only solution? Even more self-mastery!”- Ryan Holiday
Tenure might make you think that you can take your foot off the gas a little. Getting another degree might give you a salary boost. A leadership position? Some form of power, especially if it’s over colleagues.
Buckle down, don’t forget what got you here. Take time to rest, but remember the power of inertia. An object in motion stays in motion unless acted on by an outside force (and the converse is true!). If you are at rest, you’re not growing or pushing. Find the balance and keep working!
