⭐ Winning The War On Mental Health

Hi Team...

I wanted to tell you this: I love what I do.

Yes. I really do and always have.

Coaching is my 100% passion.

Because of that, I feel motivated, inspired, and have high desire to work with energy and vigor everyday.

I do not watch the clock.

I do not salivate for the weekend.

I do not have a retirement plan from coaching.

Well Coach, that is awfully boastful.

Yes.

Yes it is.

And it is for a reason.

The common thread amongst those I coach that are the most successful and the most happy is that they LOVE what they do.

They may not be in love with the industry they are in, but they love their work, their role, and what they get to do each day.

So, as a result, they are very fulfilled. 

Now I know many can not say that.

And I know that there are true mental health conditions out there that require daily monitoring.

But, for the purposes of this writing, I am referring to those who slip into a self-induced mental health crisis by forcing themselves to do something they hate doing and have zero passion for.

Last week, a survey came out from some first year, disgruntled analysts at Goldman Sachs- talking about how their mental health is suffering from the demands of their work.

• 100 hour weeks.
• Late nights, early mornings.
• And- they are making only $150k+ per year as first year analysts.

A typical week for any entrepreneur minus the $150k for most startups.

This news is spreading like wildfire and it is leaving companies to think:

Do we adapt and go lighter or do we keep our standards?

I will say this- if you love what you do- you would have no objection to grinding early  in your career to cut your teeth.

Remember, these folks are in their first year- early twenties.

At that stage of life, the focus should not be thinking about: walking your dog in the middle of the day, sitting at the coffee shop having lattes 2x per day, and making sure you have a seat at happy hour Wednesday- Friday, and brunch on the weekends.

That is not how it works.

I mean if you start your own company and you want to live like that you can- but as an employee in a high performance organization, that is typically not the case.

There are years of development where full immersion is needed and necessary in order to train the mind, align the mindset and person to the values of the organization, and to teach a new post college work-ethic.

I am a product of a system like this with the New York Yankees.

Working 300+ Days a years, sometimes going a month without a day off and traveling around the country at all hours of the night.

And you know what? I freakin loved it.

LOVED IT.

I was living a dream.

So, what does this have to do with mental health?

I believe our priorities are off.

I believe we need to be doing what we love to do and then what we do is not work and therefore we do not demand the same "me" driven requests of more freedom.

We get the freedom we desire from the work we do and the joy it brings us.

That is mental health.

And, the better you get, the more you play the game, the less you actually have to work.

That is a normal pattern of career development.

Yet- even though that is the case, if you love what you do, and your family loves watching you love what you do, they support you and you keep on doing what it is you love to do. I call this the cycle of support.

There is a lot of talk today in corporate America about "loving each other" and loving those you work with and I completely disagree.

Love your family.

Love your work.

Love the impact you make on the world and those around you because of the great work you do.

As a result, the love that is being forced on many by most speakers and leadership gurus will present itself naturally.

Having been a part of a championship team and many contenders, we didn't love each other- but we loved to compete alongside one another.

We loved winning.

We loved winning together.

We loved the grind, the work, and the prep that went into winning championships.

As a result, we all had a clear purpose: WIN TOGETHER.

We all supported each other because we needed each other to win.

And- we lifted each other to keep each member of the team working towards OUR goal.

It was damn fun too.

SO, let's not give people a free pass that look to do less and get paid/ praised more. Those are the wrong people for your team.

Let's do the work we love, for the organizations we value and believe in- and as a result, winning and happiness will take care of itself.

That is how it works.

Setting up a business entity that is reminiscent of a Dave and Busters recreation facility is not the exclusive answer.

When you do work you love- there is nothing that can fill you up quite like it.

I want you all to find that joy and run at it like a freight train.

I have seen too many find their passion, run at it, and live a life that has a full concentration of joy, love, and total triumph.

That is what I want for you!

Now, today, ask yourself one question: AM I DOING WHAT I LOVE TO DO?

Get crazy about what you do- and your mental health will improve each day you immerse yourself in that "thing".

Go get it!

Your Coach,

COACH DANA CAVALEA

Have you heard this weeks podcast: HOW TO WORK LIKE A WINNER?

Click here to learn how to get the most out of your day.