MVP AT WORK

STAYING ON TRACK
How to cut those unnecessary steps

2025rachel sajban
By Rachel Sajban
Graphic Designer, Citizen Publishing
Windom, MN


If you had the opportunity to go to the MFCP 70th anniversary conference banquet you would have had the pleasure of hearing Holly Hoffman speak on her Three Step Stride idea. This idea originated when she did hurdles in high school track. She found herself taking five steps in between each hurdle, which was slowing her down, and her coach told her she needed to cut out some of those extra steps.

Do you ever experience that in your personal or professional life? Are there any steps you think you could cut out that would benefit you? In her speech, Holly talked about three steps that she suggested you keep in your routine and two that she found do more harm than good.

The steps that are beneficial are momentum, consistency and teamwork. The steps that are harmful are complacency and comparison.

Momentum is the driving force that keeps you making progress. It is a positive forward movement that helps you on the right track to being motivated and productive. Losing momentum can take you off the course and leads to complacency.

When you are complacent you aren’t striving to do better, and you don’t risk making bold decisions because what’s familiar is easier. Fear of change and the unknown can be a huge hurdle, but it’s beneficial for your growth to take that leap and do hard things. 

Throw aside complacency and strive to be consistent. This doesn’t mean that you won’t have hard days, but if you are consistently aiming for excellence and putting your best foot forward you can only benefit both personally and professionally.

Unfortunately, along our journeys we can fall into negative comparisons, this is when we compare ourselves to others to the point that we are afraid to even start. Comparison can be good if you are comparing your current self to your past self and seeing your growth, but outside comparison can be the thief of joy.

Rather than comparing yourself harshly to others, work as a team and grow together. Teamwork brings you more of a sense of community; more minds mean more input and more opportunity to improve together.

Eliminating the unnecessary steps of complacency and comparison (and any others that you may be dealing with) is not an easy thing to do but with time, practice and consistent effort it’s possible to get there!

Rachel
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