How do you play big in your career? Success in your career and life is all about you versus you. Inside each of us, there is a big you and a small you. The big you is confident, ambitious, and wants to play big, while the small you is filled with doubts and limitations. This internal battle is constant, and it’s the only area where you truly have control. I once coached a mid-level manager who was struggling in his career. He constantly compared himself to his colleagues, worried about what his boss thought of him, and stressed over external factors like the economy, layoffs, and company reorganizations. Despite being a high-potential employee, he felt stuck and unable to structure his thoughts.
During one of our one-on-one coaching sessions, I asked him a simple yet powerful question: What would happen if you stopped worrying about things and people and instead started focusing on improving your game? The look on his face that day was priceless. Over the next few months, he began writing down everything he could do to focus on himself and improve his skills. For the first time, he realized he had been fighting the wrong battle all along. His struggle wasn’t him versus the outside world—it was him versus himself. He shifted his mindset, and soon enough, his career trajectory changed. He became more confident, proactive, and strategic, ultimately unlocking new opportunities he had never imagined.
In fact, my dad always told me, If you are too preoccupied with getting what you want, you will never get it. It may sound counterintuitive, but success isn’t about chasing outcomes—it’s about becoming the kind of person who naturally attracts them. Don’t waste time chasing butterflies; they will always fly away. Instead, focus on cultivating a beautiful garden, and the butterflies will come to you. When you focus on improving yourself, everything you desire will eventually come your way. You don’t get in life what you want—you get in life who you are. Learning to focus on yourself means becoming the kind of person capable of achieving success without being overly attached to how or when it happens.
Your Good Friend and Mentor
Payal Nanjiani
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