The Professional’s Commitment: Delivering Consistently Despite the Struggle

Confession time. 👀👀

I almost didn’t write this newsletter this week. In fact, I put it off until the last moment, and was feeling a twinge of guilt because I want to ensure that I’m always adding value for you, that I’m providing you something that at least some of you will find helpful.

It was a busy week, filled with all the usual demands—work, chores, taxes, appointments, meetings, and commitments to others. So it was very easy for me to delay getting started on pulling this newsletter together. After all, I had all kinds of excuses that I could use to let myself off the hook. I kept kicking the proverbial can down the road, thinking I’d tackle it tomorrow.

Yeah, I know…

I certainly know better than that, but like you, I’m still a work-in-progress. You can probably relate to this; I sometimes put undue pressure on myself by not starting on the most important work early enough. It’s a cycle that’s all too familiar: procrastinate, then scramble under the weight of self-imposed pressure to deliver.

Pressure can be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it takes enormous pressure to form diamonds. So pressure can create something beautiful. On the other hand, it’s no secret that stress can be unhealthy and even counterproductive.

I know that my best work rarely emerges when I’m racing against the clock, yet here I am, writing to you anyway. Why? Because I consider myself a professional, and that’s what professionals do— they commit to the work, no matter what. I committed to sending a fresh newsletter article to you each and every Sunday evening, so here I am.

Steven Pressfield’s incredible book The War of Art (highly recommend!!) beautifully captures this mindset.

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This philosophy resonates deeply with me, especially on weeks like this one where I seemed to get caught by letting myself procrastinate until the last moment, but knowing that I need to deliver, because I made a promise.

I’ve been producing this newsletter for over two years now, and while it continues to grow—albeit slowly—I’ve come to realize that growth, much like that of a tree, cannot be rushed. It requires patience, persistence, and above all, commitment. Sure, I wish it would grow faster. Who wouldn’t want their hard work to pay off quickly? But I’m in this for the long haul, just as I am with my commitment to helping people reimagine work and the role it plays in their lives.

This is about more than building a business; it’s my mission. I’m driven by the desire to prevent others from experiencing the burnout that I once did, which landed me in a mental hospital and took months of recovery. I know what it feels like to be overwhelmed, to have an unhealthy relationship with work, to not be getting proper sleep, to feel like you don’t have the time or energy to exercise, and how horrible it feels to be miserable despite being what everyone would call “successful”. That’s not a good state for anyone to be in, and I want to help as many people as possible avoid going there.

There are a lot of ways to go about accomplishing that mission, and this newsletter is but one tiny step in that direction. But the grandest journeys start with tiny steps.

So although this week I strayed from proper use of the systems, habits, and routines that typically keep me on track, I’m writing to you anyway.

Because that’s what professionals do. They show up, even when it’s hard, when they’re not feeling inspired, and they wonder if it even really matters. They keep going, even when it feels like the world is conspiring to keep them from their work. And they commit, not just to the work itself, but to the purpose behind it.

So, I’ll leave you with this burning question: What are you committed to? What will you invest yourself in, no matter what? For me, it’s this work—helping people transform their relationship with work, guiding them to find fulfillment, and preventing burnout. It’s not always easy, and it certainly doesn’t always go according to plan, but it’s worth it.

And next week, I’ll aim to start a little earlier. 🤣

Quotation that I’ve been pondering

It’s inevitable that someone is going to wrong you, whether they do it intentionally or not. That’s just a part of life. The question is how you respond when it happens.

I like this insight from Seth Godin:

The problem with holding a grudge is that it makes your hands too full to do anything useful.

Brilliant. What can you let go of to permit yourself to do something useful?

Journal prompt

This is a great journal prompt if you’re struggling to invest your time and energy into the things that are most important for you to work on, as happened to me this past week:

If someone were to observe your behaviour for a week, what would they think your priorities were?

Having this awareness and insight might be enough to pull you back on track.

Call to Adventure

You can’t stay too long in a toxic relationship. Everyone knows that. But so many people remain in a toxic relationship with their work for years, and it is slowly killing them.

I help people just like you fix their relationship with work. Let’s get started today!

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