Other Than Nothing
Other Than Nothing
Your worthiness is not tied to your productivity! The more you embody this belief, the more effective and successful you become.
Kimberly Irving, MSW/ACSW, Transformational Success Coach
Aparte De Nada – Apart From Nothing
The amazing transformational success coach Kimberly Irving shares this quote that is a core belief of many successful people. A recent experience highlighted how many of us, me included, get caught up in measuring our value by how much time we dedicate to our work. I also fall into the trap of evaluating my success through others’ eyes. My perspective shifted completely just a few days ago when a simple question hit one of my buttons.
“What are you doing, apart from nothing?” asked my landscaper Gerardo late one Friday afternoon. Whaaaat?! His actual question, que haces, aparte de nada, hit me like a slap in the face. It was 5 PM at the end of a good week when I was feeling accomplished. I didn’t like the thought at all that he believes my work is nothing. Or that I don’t really work although I devote many hours to the endeavor. Perhaps it is the prickles of defensiveness I am feeling and the old familiar guilt of "not enoughness" swell to the surface. I’ve uncovered a big disconnect here that I had to examine.
There he was finishing his first 8-hour job, with the dirt on his hands and sweat glistening around his temples as evidence of his labors thus far. He was buying a food-wagon meal before he starts his second landscaping job while I try to decipher his meaning and my feelings. It made me stop to think of his work. Usually, 12 hours a day in the hot Florida sun. rain, heat and cold; trimming, mowing, weed-eating and hauling vegetation, 7 days a week. He works harder than 4 men. But why did it make me mad that he would think I am doing nothing? I thought he was judging me unfairly, I thought he must think I do nothing while he slaves away. Could it be that he hit a nerve and it was “me” who thought I must have some work to show for my time? Did he believe that I was squandering my time for not being productive or was my reaction evidence of my own misguided thoughts?
It turned out completely different when it hit me. I was looking at it all wrong. Through his eyes, doing nothing is GOOD – an admirable goal – a sign of success. Apart from nothing is what he aspires to on a Friday at 5 PM. Right then my perspective on doing nothing turned 180 degrees. I had it wrong! I was projecting my own insecurities and fears. That is when I decided to end this thinking once and for all. No matter who looks at my productivity, the only person who gets to vote on the quality and quantity of my work is me. I will no longer allow my worthiness to be determined by productivity or lack of progress. I refuse to tie my worthiness to the volume of my work. Now I am embracing doing nothing as a sign of my success.
When you take away the misbelief that your worthiness is tied to your productivity, how different will your work week look? My work week now includes significant time dedicated to doing nothing. You can’t imagine how much I am enjoying my freedom; and the gift it is to be able to do nothing. Each Wednesday is now beach day and it isn’t exactly doing nothing; it is exploring and filling my soul with happiness. It is rejuvenating! If you too value productivity, be sure to add “do nothing” time into your schedule. Your rested and refreshed self will come back to work with inspired ideas, new problem-solving solutions, and greater productivity.
Being discriminating about how I spend my time and with whom I spend my time is one of the outcomes of that simple question. The most significant outcome though is that I am proud to say, I am doing nothing. What are you doing, apart from nothing?
Career Coach Kathy Shabotynskyj writes blogs on career and success topics. She helps Job Seekers with practical advice and a path to career success. Extensive staffing and executive search recruiting experience paired with her 20+ years as a Career Coach enables her clients to quickly navigate career transition and find their GOOD job. Her acclaimed 2009 book, “How to Find a GOOD job in 90 Days; The 5 Step Guide to a Successful Job Search” continues to inspire those ready for a new job, illuminating the path to a GOOD job. Goodjob90days@gmail.com
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