Are we doing enough?

We have had quite a few conversations recently about feeling like we’ve not been doing enough since being at home, and the more we talk with other Assistants, the more we realise it seems to be a common theme for a lot of people right now. We don’t feel like we’re doing enough. We don’t feel like we’ve achieved enough. We don’t feel like we’re doing as much as we usually would since we’ve been at home.

But why are we feeling like this? Is it true, are we not doing enough? Or are these feelings just the result of being isolated from others for a long period of time and having worked remotely and autonomously without the physical connection with our bosses, peers and colleagues?

Is it because without the physical connection we don’t get the regular reassurance and feedback we need to feel like what we’re doing is good enough? Is it because we aren’t all doing long hours in the office where other people can see us? Are we not getting that feeling of fulfillment just because we are at home on our own?

These are all rhetorical questions of course – we don’t have the answer. But we do think that the answer to why we feel like we’re not doing enough or why we’re not good enough, is going to be different for all of us. Why we both feel like we’re not achieving enough is different for both of us, but what has been helpful for us is talking it through with each other. It helps us vent how we feel in a safe space, and helps us both gain new perspectives.

When we stopped and looked back at the past 4 months and wrote down all the things we’ve done, personally and professionally, it made us feel differently about it – we HAVE done enough. We ARE doing enough. We’ve done our jobs well and have adapted to the new way of working, and managed to stay connected with our bosses and teams virtually. We’ve still been able to learn and grow in different ways, and while it wasn’t how we pictured this year to be, we’ve been making the most of it. We’ve continued to support others within the business, and step in to help out others when needed and have taken on work outside our realm of responsibilities.

So why do we think that we aren’t doing enough? Compared to who? Why do we feel that what we’ve done in the past 4 months is not enough? Not enough for who? No-one is making us feel like we’re not enough except for ourselves. So does that mean we’re setting too high or unrealistic expectations on ourselves?

Why do we think that doing our jobs well and being kick-ass at them is not enough? We are high performers and over-achievers, but why do we feel like we’re not doing enough or that we aren’t good enough just because we aren’t killing ourselves in an office in front of other people?

Our new normal is looking very different to what we’re used to, and we think that we’re all still adjusting to it. It’s changed what high performance and success looks like, and that’s different for everyone, but what we need to do is work out what we each, as individuals, see as success. It’s something that we usually set for ourselves, therefore we have the ability and control to shift our thinking, and stop giving ourselves a hard time about feeling like we’re not good enough in this new norm of ours.

Only you can do this for yourself.. but if you’re truly honest with yourself about what you’re doing and whether you believe you’re giving it your all, then you ARE good enough, and you ARE doing enough. At the end of the day, that’s what matters the most - the self-love you have for being the best version of you, and believing that you are enough!

Nis & Sarah