When the butterflies go away

That nervous feeling before a presentation or the moment right before calling your crush – these moments are when butterflies are in full effect. Butterflies mean you’re doing something new and scary. And usually these somethings mean you’re growing. Growing as a professional, growing as an individual, or just growing taller. So what does it mean you stop getting butterflies? What do you do next?

I’ve been traveling a fair amount for work bouncing between cities and meeting with executives from all walks of life and seniority. After a recent trip I found myself back in an Atlanta conference room meeting with C-suite execs of a Fortune 100 game planning the next steps for the program. After white boarding out my proposed solution (if you know me, then you’re not surprised I was writing on a white board), I sat back and addressed their questions.

A few minutes into the discussion I had a moment of self reflection and realized there were no butterflies. What would have caused butterflies and stress for someone else, I merely felt confidence in what I brought to the table. Then I tried to think back to the last time I had butterflies for anything work related and it had been months. It was a really powerful yet concerning feeling.

I had the same realization over New Years but in my personal life. I was very comfortable and rarely felt butterflies. On New Years day I got the idea that I should run a half marathon in my head. After toying with the idea and researching races for a a few days I signed up for one. And the reason I made myself sign up is because of the butterflies. A kaleidoscope of them were fluttering around my stomach. Those butterflies lasted all the way to the start line and were followed by a rush of accomplishment two hours later at the finish line that lasted for a week.

I’ve taken this weekend to organize my work life, clarify my messaging, and planning for the weeks and months to come. As part of that, I’m identifying key areas where I’m comfortable with my mastery and looking how I can share that knowledge with my colleagues so they can feel those butterflies. This will create time for me to chase my butterflies and ultimately grow my career.

When the butterflies go away, it’s time to chase new ones. There’s always something new to learn. There’s always a next step. Complacency is the enemy of greatness and as Meek Mills says, there’s levels to this ish.