Don't Pull the Leash!

I take my five-month-old puppy, Honey, for a walk on most weekday mornings.  Honey is a miniature tan dachshund, and she is one stubborn girl!  During our walks, I must remind her not to pull the leash but to walk beside me.  I do this for her protection.  If I allow her to pull the leash, she gets too far ahead of me and might get into something that could hurt her.  She might also discover something that she’s not mature enough to handle.

These training sessions with my puppy are not that different than parenting our two daughters when they were growing up.  Discipline, training, positive reinforcement, persistence, patience, and love produce happy and productive humans and canines!

Training with Honey is also, at times, like managing people, although working with people is often much more straightforward than working with puppies…well, maybe.  It depends on the day.  But mostly, I enjoy working with people.  There have been times when I’ve had to say to a coworker or friend, “Don’t pull the leash!”  when I have seen them getting ready to run into a situation they weren’t prepared for and were getting ready to take a considerable risk.

I’ve also had to tell myself, “Don’t pull the leash!”  I could retire at least five times if I had a dollar for every time I’ve gotten ahead of myself and into situations I wasn’t prepared for.  Maybe my experience with HR certification was one of those times, as indicated by my six attempts to pass the senior-level HR certification exam.  Trying to force a promotion for myself was another one of those times.  My goals and aspirations get ahead of the work that must be done to get to where I want to go.  Running into life at full speed, pulling the leash, opens me up to setbacks or sometimes even failure.  On the bright side, I’ve learned from those experiences.  And I’ve come to recognize that getting ahead of myself is something I’m good at. 

Do you “pull the leash” and get ahead of yourself too?  Be encouraged to slow down and take some space for yourself if you do.  Prioritize your priorities and get rid of those that are imposters. I have three to five priorities that I work on each week.  The rest of the to-do list is addressed when the top priorities are complete. 

There have been times when I’ve asked a friend for help establishing priorities in life, be it personal or professional, to ensure I’m on the right track or staying on the right track so I don’t get off track….and start pulling the leash.  Again.  Remember, you’re not alone in your struggles.  If you need someone to talk to, feel free to reach out to me.  I’d love to connect with you!  In the meantime, don’t pull the leash!