It can be easy to feel like you’re failing and not progressing. We often focus only on what hasn’t been done and how many things are outstanding on our ever-growing ‘To-Do’ list. Our minds are set in default mode to go straight to these things and worry about when we’ll get to them. Instead, we should be reflecting on what we have done and how much we’ve achieved.

I hadn’t significantly climbed the career ladder, I’d progressed steadily with great performance and feedback on my contribution to the business. I didn’t step up to a director role, like some of those I’d interviewed and brought into the company years before. I suppose I'd plodded, always contributing and diligent, but never taking the next big leap. Something had held me back, that inner voice chattering endlessly, making sure I knew my limits. 

When all you can see are pound signs no matter what time of day or night and your brain feels like a huge calculator churning the numbers, pushing them out onto those large printed rolls of paper from a great big noisy printer.

I’d been at Nike for 20 years, dedicated nearly half my life to the company. I’d earned the respect of my colleagues and was a valued member of an international team, at one of the biggest brands in the world. I’d always get an appreciative reaction when I introduced myself in meetings, gave my Nike story and said how long I’d been with the company. I wasn’t smug about it; I was proud. I’d committed myself to Nike and could be relied upon. The longer I was there, the more settled and content I felt. I guess it made me feel safe.