Do you watch The Apprentice?

Over many years I’ve enjoyed plonking myself on the sofa, mug of hot chocolate in hand, to see what hopeless bunch of future tycoons and wannabe D-listers will be battling it out this time round.

Most episodes begin with a serene mansion view in leafy suburbia, sunlight peeking over the trees, perhaps a bird chirping overhead, then all of a sudden….

BRINGGGG!!!

The phone in the mansion pierces the silence and one of the hapless apprentices leaps out of bed, races downstairs, answers the phone and gets told “You’re all meeting Sir Alan at Billingsgate Fish Market in 6 minutes”.

And off they go to design a luxury tinned sardine brand or create a fish-based perfume (Essence of Anchovy?  You heard it here first)

Anyway, the thing I find curious is this:

The contestants never get a lie in.

The phone always rings at 3.30am or 4am.

It’s like Sir Alan is sending a message with his crack-of-dawn wake-up calls that this is what it takes.

That early mornings, hard work and sacrifice are necessary to be a success. 

And that the harder you push, the more valuable you’ll become.

In the early days of my career, I viewed colleagues who worked weekends or stayed late in the office with a kind of awe.  It felt like I was being shown the “right” way to build a career and I couldn’t help but be impressed with their dedication.

I found myself mirroring their approach without realising it and soon the lines started to blur.  As time went by, it felt more & more like my value depended on what I sacrificed and my worth was measured by how much I could endure – not just as an employee, but as a person.

No wonder I burnt myself out.

Here’s what I wish I’d understood sooner:

Your value has zip to do with how hard you work.  And your worth has diddly squat to do with how many hours you clocked last week, how many emails you sent or what time you’ve set your alarm for.

Instead, your value and worth are built into you, innate and unconditional. 

In other words, you’re already enough simply by being you.

That's my two pennies' worth for today.

Before I clock off:

If you’d like to find a more balanced, fulfilling approach to your work life, you might like to check this out:

https://waitinglist.followingfulfilment.com