It's just work: how to put work into perspective

On Sunday night, I went to check my calendar for the week. I knew I had a bit on, but I wasn't too worried. Until I got to Thursday.

At that point, my stomach dropped. According to my calendar, I was to be in two places at once: a full-day online training for Meetings that Matter, and a strategic leadership session with a new client. Yep, not a client that already knew me - but a brand new one, in Australia.

Sh*t.

I didn't sleep particularly well Sunday night, and on Monday, we sprung into action. We knew it wasn't good - we'd made a mistake, inside a week that was already extremely busy. On top of a big admin project we have on the go, and planning for an almost-full 2022, we have seven workshops across Not An MBA, Meetings that Matter, Countdown and our new client. Not the ideal time to mess up.

You know what, though? It's OK. It's a problem, but it's a quality one, as far as problems go.

1. You'll always have problems.

Problems are like cockroaches and glitter - they'll always be there, even after the apocalypse. Solve these, and you'll get new ones. Also, your solutions will create problems you didn't foresee. Fun, eh?

2. Not all problems are created equally

While we can't aim for a problem-free life, we can pay attention to the quality of our problems. Cultivating problems we're proud of makes them more likely to feel like privileges.3. 

We want problems that 3-Years-Ago-You, 5-Years-Ago-You, and 10-Years-Ago-You would be impressed by.

Problems worth solving.
Problems worth being frustrated by.
Problems worth sacrificing for.

In my case, I got some perspective while I was out walking the dog on Monday morning. Yes, we'd stuffed up - but we'd stuffed up because our week is full of sessions where I'm reaching hundreds of incredible, committed leaders who are out there doing amazing things.

I'm working with dream clients and running excellent programmes that I'm proud of, and I'm doing all of it from the comfort of my home or virtual office.

Mate, Five Years Ago, Alicia would have been gobsmacked.

3. It's just work

Many of the big problems we battle during our days are work-related. At the time, they feel catastrophic. But in a week, month, or year, we won't even remember them, much less why we were so upset.

Yes, problems happen. Yes, they're annoying. But most of the stuff we do isn't life or death... it's just work. There are so many other things to worry about that have a far more significant impact on the quality of our lives and our contribution to the world.

Our families, our friends. Our homes. Our goals. Our dreams. Our health. Inequality. Society. Media. Love. Politics. Pandemics. Food. Death. Ideas. Books. Music. Art. Work is just one column and not the most important one, so don't let it swallow you up.

TL;DR You'll always have problems - so you may as well pick good ones. Also, it's just work.