Cycling through ambition and responsibility

Hi Everyone,

I've been reflecting for a while on this idea of categorizing stages of growth in the same manner as managing work. Work management includes project, program, and portfolio management. Project management is focused on one activity, program management is focused on managing multiple projects and aligning tasks and teams, whereas portfolio management is managing multiple programs, while determining strategy, and tracking goals and risks. When categorizing growth in a similar process, I think of growth management as the approach to coordinating goals throughout the personal and professional journey.

Over the years, I've come to realize my ability to achieve goals in my personal and professional journey stems from adapting my skills, systems, and strategies for the life that is before me. This growth journey cycles through ambition and responsibility. Each stage (project, program, portfolio) is reached when the scope of activities change.

Ambition leads to responsibility which shapes future ambition. Each stage of growth adds complexity while previous responsibilities continue. The intensity of responsibility changes throughout the journey. In the early stages of growth, ambition and responsibility are simple in scope because of experience. In later stages of growth, ambition and responsibility are more complex because of experience and scope of activities.

For me, whenever I am feeling overwhelmed, I know it's an indicator that another growth stage is approaching or arrived and it's time for me to adapt or change my existing system. For example, prior to my doctorate program, I managed personal and professional life on a piece of paper or in a simple planner. During my doctorate program, I shifted from project to programs stage and needed to upgrade my system to include technology (The Intellectual Will is a result of me creating a new system). Currently, in my role as an executive director, I'm now experiencing the same need to shift my system because I've reached a portfolio stage.

As someone who has a love for learning and improving, I have to wonder is there an indicator that the growth achieved is enough? When is contentment achieved? What does success look like to me? When I ask those questions, I am able to manage growth because the danger lies in ambition pushing more responsibility that can be handled with the resources at hand (team, time, money, etc).

Even though, I have entered a new stage of growth, I am also arriving at a place of contentment. I am pausing my ambition and responsibilities, and now its systems and habits that persist and maintain me:

• I remember while I was in my doctorate program, a friend came into my office while I was writing and was shocked to see that I was writing and listening to music. If I'm going to write, especially do focused writing or thinking, I need to have music in the background. After reading the book Collaborative Intelligence, I understood more about my thinking talents and the best way to unleash them. I realized that I am locked in and focused when it comes to writing or creating visual assets, but I also thrive in coming up with ideas through audio. Without even knowing it, I feel like I hacked a way for me to get ideas while being focused without having to speak to someone. My mind is always on the move, but music is the antidote, the balm that keeps me steady. The rhythms hold my brain like a mother holding a baby while sitting in a rocking chair. Music is the sweet lullaby that keeps me grounded while I need to focus.
• It makes sense that my second collection of journals, would use music and affirmations as a guide. Affirming Self (free), released in November 2024, includes journaling prompts paired with audio affirmations that remind you of your blessings and your power. I share a bit of a framework for journaling and I share tips for choosing the right journaling tool.
• My journey to become a better writer has led me down some interesting paths, the most recent is reading a book about Information. It's just fascinating to think that humans originally connected and communicated through speech, sounds, and pictographs. Modern language: everything from understanding what is a word to spelling to word meanings/origins, to even developing an alphabet had to all be created.

What stage of life are you in? Do you feel that your ambition is leading to more responsibility?

*** Dr. Lisa-Marie

P.S. QTNAs

A couple of years ago, someone reached out to me and said I was one of the most organized people they met and they wanted to know what tools I used. I typically shy away from prescribing tools because I believe it's more important to have a system, habit, or routine in place. The tool is just a matter of preference. Same way some people like stick shift vs automatic in a car. Both have the same function of getting you from point A to point B. The how is a preference. Same for organization tools, it doesn't matter what the tool because its in reflecting, revisiting, and fine tuning that goals are achieved.

Instead of sharing the tools, I made a video for that person highlighting my thoughts on organizational tools.