THE ROOT 9: 19.2

Reframing "Hard Work"

I was scrolling through LinkedIn last week when the above post by Zachary Kimball popped up on my feed. It offered a unique perspective on how parent’s develop a unique ability to distinguish between the value of knowing how to work late versus knowing what truly matters. It made me think about why actively focusing on honing our ability to prioritize, rather than defaulting to the "work late" crutch, is critical even if we are not parents. If we lean too heavily on simply working longer hours, we might face some difficult lessons on prioritization later in life, especially when stepping into leadership roles and greater personal commitments.

I admire leaders with families who seem to balance it all—mentoring at work, nurturing a family, and excelling in their day-to-day jobs. It truly seems like a superpower. While I can't speak to understanding Zachary’s experience as a parent, his post made me think deeply about how I define "hard work" in my own daily life, given that I don't have the constraints of balancing a young family.

How can we practice deepening our perspective on what truly matters, both professionally and personally, without feeling like we’re not “doing enough” at work? There’s a strong likelihood that placing real value and prioritization on aspects outside of work actually helps you become more efficient and focused. Even if you don't have children, could you treat a passion project or a cherished hobby in a similar way? What if you treated your relationships with friends or a partner with the same intentionality and protective boundaries you'd apply to a child's schedule?

Perhaps going to that extent may not be as beneficial early in our careers, but practicing boundaries and viewing them as an enabler—making us more well-rounded individuals—holds significant value for our careers.

I'll admit, I'm known for loving a "late-night grind" myself. But there's a real risk: if you make that "late-night grind" a tradition, it quickly becomes an expectation. The next thing you know, you might struggle to disconnect or prioritize effectively. "Always being on" can become such a norm for those you work with that it's not only hard for you to unlearn, but it also becomes an expectation others hold you to.

This raises a crucial question: is there a long-term career risk if we don’t actively practice prioritizing what truly matters over simply working late, especially as personal commitments inevitably scale later in life? It’s certainly food for thought for building a sustainable working style.

Power of a Reframing The Way We Question

It’s taken me a while to lean in to getting comfortable raising my hand with a question in a room. I often worried I should know the answer and that my question would steer away from the purpose of a conversation. But, over time, I've gotten more comfortable with reframing how I feel about being the one with questions. Asking questions often enables us to move forward in whatever we are tasked to do. Getting a question out on the floor when it's on your mind is likely to impact your understanding of the remaining content discussed in a meeting better and it also likely helps another person in the room refocus. Chances are, you weren't the only one with that question.

That said, how we ask questions is equally important to send a signal that you aren't necessarily ‘lost’ but that following as best as you can and can benefit from a moment of clarity. I've tried to make a habit of starting every question with something like:

“Can we pause for a moment so I can test my understanding about [x] to make sure I am following our conversation? Here is how I understand / interpret this: [insert your current understanding]. Is this on the right track or would you refine it in any way?”

I think this is powerful for two reasons: 1) invites your audience to answer what you do not know in a way that does not veer the conversation off track, and 2) allows whoever is responding to succinctly play back to you not only the explanation, but why it matters. While I am not saying we should never ask “What is [x]?” or “Can you explain [x]?” the vague nature of framing a question in that way may sometimes redirect your conversation from the true end goal.

You might be wondering why I consider this a wellness weapon—good question 🙂

I think a lot of us get stuck balancing a desire to enrich our understanding and manage imposter syndrome. It’s only human. For me, this was a very simple way to regain a bit of confidence even when being the one asking questions. It made me feel my need to understand was asked in a way that benefited everyone, minimizing a perception of being "lost. This significantly reduced the mental load of potential missteps or misunderstandings I put on myself, allowing me to engage more fully and authentically. Not that we need to be perfect or not lost all the time, but hopefully you get my point.

This one is niche…but I have been OBSESSED with the Califia Farms Toasted Coconut Almond Milk. So much so, that I’ve started for a mid-day iced coffee when I work from home over my typical Celsius so I can drink more of it and am considering grabbing an extra bottle in my grocery order this week to keep in the office so I can personalize my coffee.

This one might be a bit unique to me but hey, I’m loving it right now.