Embracing a What-the-Hell Attitude: 2022 Reflections

What the hell?!

Looking back on this past year, I’m reflecting on where I – and my clients – took chances and reaped measurable rewards.  

You’ll notice I’m using the word rewards, not results.  The difference between the two is important, with the idea of a reward being what we gain from an experience rather than the hard and fast results we achieve.  Yes, results matter – especially when we are seeking specific, discrete outcomes.  But sometimes results can end up being different from what we originally set out to accomplish.  This is where I see rewards coming in, since we have so much more to gain than outcomes alone: what we learned, the relationships we cultivated, and how we tapped into our creativity along the way. 

Many rewards are earned through taking on challenges that present varying levels of difficulty and complexity.  Whatever the size, they are always opportunities to see what we’re capable of, and how we can grow.  And sometimes these challenges boil down to welcoming more uncertainty into our lives rather than fighting it – where we get more comfortable with what we can (and can’t control), discovering where we might open up to risk.  

What allows us to get more comfortable with taking risks?  For me, it starts with lower-stakes activities and expanding out from there.  Outside of the professional arena, my go to place for risk taking is the kitchen.   

I love opening up a cookbook (or, more often a website or Pinterest page) with a tempting recipe that introduces me to unfamiliar ingredients, techniques, or flavors.  If there’s one thing cooking has taught me, it’s the importance of diving in and trying something new or different.  Over the years I’ve gotten better at improvising with ingredients, tweaking measurements, and making something my own.  The only way I’ll know if something works is by trying it.  Ultimately, experimenting in the kitchen has built my confidence and allowed me to play in the “what-the-hell” attitude described by one of my heroes: Julia Child.

“The only real stumbling block is fear of failure. In cooking, you’ve got to have a what-the-hell attitude.”

Opening up to the possibility of failure surfaces possibility.  Embracing a “what-the-hell” attitude doesn’t mean we don’t care, or aren’t committed to results – it gives us freedom in how we achieve our goals and flexibility around what success looks like.   

Across the various ways I work with my clients, I encourage them to push the envelope in one way or another – to experience where adopting a “what-the-hell” attitude makes sense to increase experimentation and growth.  This was a big theme for our partnerships in 2022, and as I reflect back I see its impact through the rewards my clients have achieved.  

Professionally, this year has been my most rewarding yet.  My collaborations have cultivated leadership through increased self-awareness, co-elevation of colleagues, intentional conversations, and tapping into courage throughout.  I’m incredibly grateful for my clients, partners, and supporting cast for their trust and humor – none of this work happens alone!  2023 will hold a new selection of challenges and opportunities, surfacing new collaborations with amazing people where we’ll realize both rewards and results.  I’m excited and ready for it!