100% is a whole
It's impossible to give more than 100% of yourself but do you pride yourself in giving over 100%?
How many times have you said to someone you are working with that you are giving it 110%?
Do you tell your friends and family that you adore your job and you give it 110% of you all the time?
Fact check: 100% is a whole human. We are incapable of growing an extra arm, set of hands, set of ears or as I used to call it, an octopus tentacle to give more than our whole selves. You’d have to clone yourself first before that can happen. Scientifically, we aren’t there just yet - but who knows, - I’m sure with AI, that’ll be possible in the somewhat near future.
Priding yourself in giving more than you have is how we have been taught to be. Leaders have to let their egos shine by running around, taking on more tasks, and continuing to go without a pause. If you can relate, have you stopped and asked yourself recently: but until when?
We only have so much gas in the tank until we burn out. This has been the unfortunate reality of many of us in the hospitality industry (and beyond - if I’m keeping it honest here).
I’d like to break down this old rhetoric and help you find more sustainable solutions and tools to avoid feeling like you need to give more than you have in order to be seen, respected and taken seriously.
My hope is you are able to take a sigh of relief after reading that sentence. Now let’s get down to business and help you show up fully as you are each day.
We all come to work with a full bag (I don’t only mean full of papers, snacks, water, and whatever else you carry in there). I’m talking about the intangible, the unseen bag. We have emotions, feelings, thoughts, to do lists and so much more. We cannot pretend that they aren’t with us. Some days you may wake up feeling refreshed, energized and ready to go. You give yourself time to indulge in your full morning routine and you get to work feeling full of life. There are other days where you may have tossed and turned or simply woke up feeling down, tired, lethargic. All of these are normal! We never wake up every day feeling bright and full. I’d be worried if you did.
Let’s unpack and get honest. Here are some facts.
Upgrade to a paid subscription to get access to Energy Check Worksheet. It’ll help you write out how you need to be supported in this moment and be able to clearly and intentionally communicate to your colleagues.
The days that you feel 70% and still fully show up for yourself and your work - you are STILL giving 100% of what you got! And that is enough! Some days you feel 90% and you give 90% of what you got because you are choosing to delegate, coach and allow others to show up as they are capable and ready for that day. This scenario is ALSO proof of you giving enough.
You do not always have to give every ounce of yourself to anyone or any task. You choose how much energy and attention you have to give to ensure the project, task, or team is being properly led, while making sure that you are still taking care of you. And a lot of the time, it means it’s a TEAM effort. Getting really cozy with learning how to delegate tasks is what will help you conserve your energy, give what needs to be shared (but not in excess) and create the space for your colleagues to shine, learn and grow alongside you and each other.
But how do we start integrating this new way of leading? It’s like exercising any muscle that you haven’t used in a while. It is uncomfortable and requires consistent little steps forward followed by time to process.
It starts with naming where you are energetically today.
Use the worksheet below or download it here to check in and learn how to show up for you, each day. You can integrate this into your daily routine for accountability.