Creating your 9 to 6 with growth

Ok, you’ve done your homework – you've asked hard, direct questions about workload, you've gotten a good vibe from your new boss and it seems like people are generally happy at your new company (read last week note's for a recap on how to do this). 

You accept your offer and ta-da! 

You’ve found the holy grail of a role that should allow you to work 9 to 6, while giving you ample opportunity for growth and advancement! 

Now, all you have to do is show up and do good work, and you’ll get the stretch opportunities you want and go home (sign-off) at a reasonable hour, 

Right!? 

ENNNHHHH [insert the “wrong” buzzer sound here]. 

Every single job - even the most promising - is going to have its ups and downs and at times, want more from you than you want to give… 

There will be sprints towards a new product launch or board presentation. A fire drill that has to be fixed now - no ifs, ands or buts about it. A weird co-worker or office politics that require emotional energy and care. 

The boss you're in a great rhythm with might leave and be replaced by a new leader who slacks you at 4:45 am on his way to the gym. 

This is because companies are dynamic - priorities change, the economy fluctuates, business results go up and down.  

And no company is perfect – every org is just a lot of perfectly imperfect humans, engaging with each other, trying to do something ambitious together. 

So instead of relying on others to ensure you get your “9 to 6 with growth,” you have to make it a “9 to 6 with growth.” 

It's about who you are in the role and how you show up. 

Last week we covered the strategies on how to find and vet your “9 to 6 with growth” and this week, we're diving into the mindsets you need to keep to shape that role. 

Let’s dive in…

1. Create realistic expectations from the start. 

Remember that you want to be in this role and thriving in this role for years, not just the next six months (it’s a marathon, not a sprint!). 

Your first six months are going to be rocky and uncomfortable as you just learn a new way of working and culture - there’s just no way around that. You’ll need to spend time and effort getting up to speed, but be careful not to set unrealistic expectations. 

Look for a few strategic places where you can go above and beyond to remind them of your value and why they hired you, but don’t go above and beyond in every single part of your job. 

First impressions last and it is harder to change expectations than to set them from the start. 

2. You were hired for your capabilities, remember that. 

There’s merit to the mindset, “every day starts at zero” but not when it comes to your capabilities and value. Too often, I find my clients think they have to prove themselves every.single.day. 

Your capabilities don’t start at zero every day. You are bringing over a decade of elite training, experience and skill-building into this role, not to mention your unique and creative way of seeing the world. 

So when you’re feeling the urge to do more research, review those talking points again or edit the email just one more time, remind yourself that you have years of talent making you skilled and effective at your work. 

Trust that you will be effective and successful, without exhaustive overwork. 

3. Get excited about your non-work life.  

It is a lot easier to pull back from work - physically and mentally - when you have things outside of work that you’re really excited about. I call these “pulls” because they literally pull you away from work. 

Think about what you really love to do or the hobby you’ve been daydreaming about, and then formalize or amp it up. It is a lot easier to hold a commitment when you have a regular class on your calendar or a goal you want to hit. 

So if you love reading, join a book club. If you’ve always been intrigued by interior design, sign-up for a class. If you want to move more, register and train for a 10k. 

Over time (if you’ve picked the right “pull”), your enthusiasm will build so much that it feels easy to stop working and head to class or go for a training run. 

4. Be firm about your boundaries. 

No one is going to set boundaries for you. Even if you have a great boss, they can’t read your mind and know what works for you one week vs. the next. 

So now that you’ve implemented #1-3, you need to set and hold boundaries – these are like the support beams of your house, holding your “9 to 6 with growth” in place. 

Most women I coach are worried that too many boundaries will come across as rigid or unwilling to work hard, when in reality, you're so competent and self-directed, that your boundaries won't come anywhere close to crossing the line to “lazy.” 

Remember respect (for yourself) begets respect. Use my favorite boundary-power-phrase “no, I have a commitment,” take push notifications for email and slack off your phone and stop responding outside of reasonable work hours and you'll be well on your way to a true “9 to 6 with growth." 

5. Mentally check-out from work when off hours.

Creating the right relationship with your role is sometimes less about the total volume of hours worked, and more about how much mental energy you spend on the work. 

The right mindset strategy here will be different for everyone, but experiment with a closing routine, practice redirecting your thoughts or a calming mantra. 

Your closing routine could be writing everything down that you need to think about for tomorrow or which might be lingering in your mind. 

Do the work to keep redirecting your mind when it wanders to something from your work day. Remind yourself that weird feedback or your team missing a data error just happens. 

Try reminding yourself that “it's all going to be fine" or “one moment doesn't make or break success.” 

This one takes focus and practice, but the payoff is huge once you can give yourself mental freedom. 

Ok and here’s the last bonus tip! 

Know that it gets easier as you get more senior. 

Yes, advancing comes with more pressure, expectations and higher-stakes, but as you grow, hopefully you're also internalizing how wildly competent you are, have activities that give you joy and allow yourself time to fully be off the clock, so it is easier to manage that stress. 

Because here's the unlock we don't talk about enough – as you move from middle management to leader, you get to set the priorities and pace of your team. 

You get to move meetings around to what’s best for you. You get to set the timeline for new projects and review cycles. You get to determine if something is a fire drill or not. 

With control and influence, comes freedom. Trust that you're working towards that. 

Alright, so there you have it – the strategies and mindsets you need to find and shape your “9 to 6 with growth.” 

Remember, these roles aren’t handed to you. They require intention and effort to both find and to keep shaping. 

But as you do this, the rewards are worth it…

Challenge and fulfillment in your work-life, with energy and presence for your non-work-life. 

Go out and create that “9 to 6 with growth!”