On the eve of the day I was to leave the small rural village where I grew up in the Dominican Republic for New York City, at the age of twelve, a neighbor asked me what my plans were once I arrived. She was well known in the community and everyday, walked miles up and down the town’s only dusty road, pulling her donkey and selling fresh vegetables and fruits grown on her family farm.
I had been sweeping leaves in front of my grandparents’ home and upon hearing the question, I was stopped in my tracks. However, it took very little time to begin to rattle off all my goals for my new life in the United States. My plan was simple, I told her. I planned to take an English course immediately and then go to secretary school so I could get a job while completing high school. It is important to note that no one in my family had actually completed secondary school or worked in an office. These were ideas I had gotten from the Mexican novelas we had recently begun to watch on the small black and white television my uncle had brought us from the United States.
Needless to say that my plan was flawed and that I had no idea how anything worked, especially no understanding of what I would actually be able to do and decide as a child. But the conversation stayed with me and fed my intrinsic motivation as I started a new life in a new country. It is one of those defining moments that I often reflect on with marvel, despite how much time has passed.
I was not able to work as a secretary at the age of twelve, of course, but after I learned English, I did volunteer to work weekends doing paperwork at the factory where my mother worked as a seamstress. And later, during my last year of high school, a school administrator helped me to find a part time job and when asked if I preferred one at a clothing store downtown or a “clerical” job at the NYC Board of Education, I finally found my first official office job.
As this story demonstrates, there can be incredible power in setting goals in order to keep oneself motivated, especially when we are confronted with both personal and professional challenges. When barriers threaten to keep us from achieving our goals and making our dreams a reality, holding on to our resolve and intrinsic motivation can significantly impact how we respond under pressure.
How do you react in high pressure situations? Do you ground yourself in your resolve to reach your goals? Or, do you turn inward, and fear not being good enough?
An important step in managing leadership demands is by setting goals and prioritizing. The pressure that surrounds us on a daily basis can either be a source of stress or an agent for change and motivation. With a positive determination, you can choose to turn pressure into the fuel needed to take your productivity to the next level and to meet your goals.
Setting goals and staying focused while managing daily pressures can be a balancing-act. However, setting goals can help you feel more fulfilled and achieve greater success. You can stay more engaged by setting meaningful goals that matter to you, either personally or personally. For me, the goals of getting an education and working in an office were grounding and helped me to stay focused on the future, even as I faced insurmountable obstacles that I could not have imagined before arriving in this country.
You can set realistic goals and meet them by keeping a mindset of success. Remind yourself that you are strong and can reach your goals because you are willing to do the work to get there. In my case, I did not have clear knowledge of what I needed to do in order to get there, but I believed deeply that if I continued to put one foot in front of the other and worked hard, I would eventually succeed.
You are a successful person. While things are not always perfect, you keep working at them until they become what you expect and want them to be. You refuse to see giving up or quitting as an option. For example, as a first generation college student, it took me nine years to complete my undergraduate studies but dropping out or quitting was never an option I was willing to consider. In the end, those long and difficult nine years helped me to become more resilient and to discover a sense of strength that helped me to transform my experience from survival mode to designing my own success over time.
Focus on nurturing your joy and strength. Each day, you will see your goals getting closer. Take time to acknowledge and celebrate all the small steps that help you get there daily. You have the strength to persevere, too.
As you reach your goals, set new ones so you always have something worth working for. Your goals will hold your interest and you will see the value in them, especially as you continue to manage daily pressures at work.
Do things that matter. Your goals can help you to take charge of your life. If you are able to help others strengthen themselves and reach their goals, you will see your own strengths and achievements.
Turning Pressure into Fuel and Motivation
Once you have intentionally set your goals to align with what is important and meaningful to you, it is essential to focus on how to handle the day-to-day pressures of leadership, both expected and those that manifest without warning. I was committed to reaching my goals and I worked to turn the pressure and challenges I encountered into fuel and motivation. This is still the mindset I practice today.
When the pressure is on, you can work with diligence to accomplish your goals. You can choose to look at pressure as the spark that lights your fire. The absence of pressure can make it easy for you to fall back in your approach. Turning on the heat can cause you to work with passion and resolve.
The demands placed on you by deadlines can motivate you to pace yourself in such a way that you are able to complete all your work in a timely manner. Rise up to the challenge of meeting deadlines with excellence and without sacrificing the quality of your work.
Pressure can also increase your focus and help you to zero in on the task at hand so you may complete it efficiently. When faced with the fuel of pressure, minimize distractions to avoid falling behind.
Additionally, pressure can help you to stay organized. Prioritize your tasks effectively so you can complete the most important tasks first before spending time on other things.
You can choose to see pressure as a challenge that you are more than capable of overcoming. With a positive attitude, something that is harmful can turn into an advantage.
So, feel confident that your goals are within reach and act to make them happen. Today, you can choose to function with excellence in the face of pressure. You can be grateful for the demands placed on you because they are what keep your work exciting.
Questions for Self-Reflection
Have you set meaningful goals for yourself?
How can you stay motivated in the face of pressure and challenge?
What strategies can you use to reprioritize when under pressure instead of giving up?
How can you turn pressure points into fuel for motivation?