Dealing with Career Challenges and Learning Why We Sleep

Do you approach discomfort?

Just because we’re talking about and recommending a book about sleep today doesn’t mean we want to PUT you to sleep!

So stay with me…

Your career won’t go perfectly.

You’ve likely already experienced some ups and downs. 

Maybe getting laid off, having difficult bosses or coworkers, or getting stuck in a role you don’t enjoy.

That happens. 

But what will you do about it?

Read on!

Oh, and if you’re not getting great sleep, read our recommended book and you’ll want to!

In today’s newsletter:

• Career challenges and what to do about them

• Learning why and how to sleep better

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CAREER TIPS

How to Deal with Inevitable Career Challenges

"Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful." —Joshua J. Marine

Over the course of a career, challenges and obstacles are always there as we move through the process of growth and success. The notion of an obstacle-free journey is as elusive as a world of perpetual roses and rainbows (and roses have thorns anyway). Instead, the career landscape is often dotted with hurdles that demand our attention and tenacity. We will be diving into the art of positively navigating career challenges, emphasizing the significance of embracing resistance and forging ahead with resilience.

Embracing Resistance as a Sign of Growth

The acclaimed author Stephen Pressfield in his book The War of Art once expounded on the correlation between fear, resistance, and growth. Let me share it with you here:

"Remember our rule of thumb: The more scared we are of a work or calling, the more sure we can be that we have to do it. … Resistance is experienced as fear; the degree of fear equates to the strength of Resistance. Therefore, the more fear we feel about a specific enterprise, the more certain we can be that that enterprise is important to us and to the growth of our soul. That's why we feel so much Resistance. If it meant nothing to us, there'd be no Resistance."

He illuminates the idea that Resistance, often manifested as fear and internal doubts, is an indicator that one is on the brink of meaningful change. It is a compass pointing towards the path of authentic growth. As engineers, professionals, and individuals striving for purpose, the presence of resistance signifies that the challenge at hand holds profound importance. In the realm of intentional careers, resistance should be viewed as an affirmation of our aspirations rather than a deterrent.

Navigating Resistance and Challenges

Resistance takes various forms, each vying to deter us from embracing transformation and facing career challenges head-on. The spectrum of resistance encompasses the fear of failure, the trepidation of the unknown, and the lure of comfortable distractions. Imposter syndrome often casts a shadow, raising doubts about our competence and worthiness. External factors, such as market conditions, can cast a cloud of uncertainty. Yet, within these challenges lies an opportunity for introspection and growth. By identifying specific forms of resistance you're facing, you can devise strategies to counteract them and pave the way for positive progress.

Welcome Discomfort

Every challenge is an invitation to step beyond the familiar, confront the unknown, and transform. Engineers who aim to design their destinies must cultivate a resolute determination to embrace discomfort. This discomfort is a bridge connecting the present to the future, a stepping stone towards a more accomplished self. Recognizing the power within you to traverse this bridge is key to navigating obstacles with grace and optimism.

Overcoming Resistance and Mastering Challenges

Expecting resistance is the first step towards mastering it. You must acknowledge its inevitability and arm yourself with a positive attitude to counter its effects. This attitude becomes the antidote to internal doubts and external pressures. Armed with this attitude, you can approach challenges as opportunities rather than roadblocks. The proactive approach to challenges positions you as a master of your destiny, refusing to let resistance dictate the course of your life.

The pursuit of an intentional career is a journey riddled with challenges and obstacles. The recognition of this reality forms the foundation for a proactive and positive approach. By embracing resistance as a sign of growth, you transcend fear and internal doubts to harness their potential. Navigating resistance and its multifaceted challenges empowers you to identify areas for growth and develop strategies to surmount them. The call to action underscores the importance of embarking on this journey with determination, cultivating the resilience needed to thrive in the face of adversity. The mastery of resistance emerges as a defining trait, allowing you to approach career challenges not as stumbling blocks, but as stepping stones to success.

📚 BOOK RECOMMENDATION

Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew Walker

“I’ll sleep when I’m dead!” 

Have you ever said that, or heard others say it? 

Well, if you have that attitude, you might end up dead sooner…

Matthew Walker has made abundantly clear that sleep is one of the most important but least understood aspects of our lives. Until very recently, science had no answer to the question of why we sleep, what good it serves, or why we suffer such devastating health consequences when it is absent. Compared to the other basic drives in life—eating, drinking, and reproducing—the purpose of sleep remains more elusive.

Within the brain, sleep enriches a diversity of functions, including our ability to learn, memorize, and make logical decisions. It recalibrates our emotions, restocks our immune system, fine-tunes our metabolism, and regulates our appetite. Dreaming creates a virtual reality space in which the brain melds past and present knowledge, inspiring creativity.

This book provides a revolutionary exploration of sleep, examining how it affects every aspect of our physical and mental well-being. Charting the most cutting-edge scientific breakthroughs and marshaling his decades of research and clinical practice, Walker explains how we can harness sleep to improve learning, mood, and energy levels, regulate hormones, prevent cancer, Alzheimer’s, and diabetes, slow the effects of aging, and increase longevity. He also provides actionable steps toward getting a better night’s sleep every night.