Dia Wall knows a thing or two about attaining personal and professional objectives as an award-winning writer, wife, and mother of two. It’s something the evening anchor and newsroom head of Kansas City’s NBC affiliate, KSHB41, takes pride in.
Wall has now accomplished something else with the release of her book, The Unhappiest One: Finding Joy in My Journey to Purpose, in September: she has shared some of her hard-earned wisdom with others.
“Success is wonderful; we all desire it,” she says. “I’ve aspired to be where I am professionally for as long as I can remember.
But I believe the reason I thought it was time to write what I refer to as a “sort-of memoir”… is that I needed to keep things in perspective. That’s the most important lesson I’ve learned.”
Wall says in her Achiever’s Exclusive conversation with Josh Ellis that her present viewpoint on happiness and purpose didn’t come easy to her. Her book is about attempting to reconcile her feelings of dissatisfaction, which she struggled with even after achieving her goals.
In the interview, Wall explains, “We all have this burning desire to strive and meet higher goals and milestones.” “However, what happens when you arrive?”
The pandemic provided Wall with an opportunity to ponder this very subject. It’s all about maintaining what she terms a “posture of thankfulness,” according to her. This can include things like putting in the hard, unglamorous labor required for growth, such as focusing on the fundamentals, setting priorities, and never losing sight of the ultimate objective of happiness.
In an interview with SUCCESS magazine, Wall emphasized five principles.
1) You Are Not a Product of Your Labour.
It might be difficult to separate our personal identities from the work we undertake in our increasingly specialized society.
The author, echoing Toni Morrison’s thoughts on the subject, reminds us that our true worth is derived from our relationships with those we love.
Wall adds, “What you do isn’t who you are.” “You can be the best professional on the planet, and I can be the best journalist on the planet. But, at the end of the day, I am still their ‘Mom.’ To the husband, I’m still ‘Dia, my wife,’ you know?”
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2) You Are Constantly Evolving.
Recognizing that we’re always a work-in-progress, according to the author, not only frees us from the illusory weight of perfectionism, but also helps us to assess our shifting hopes, desires, and goals.
“It was learning to accept a little bit of humility,” Wall recalls. “It was being OK with the fact that you’re always developing, that you’re always growing, changing, and adapting—and recognizing that that’s natural.”
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3) No One Can Possibly Do Everything On Their Own.
Wall makes it apparent that we all stand to gain by drawing on the strength of our connections and communities, from taking time to reflect on her mother’s sacrificial gestures of love to underlining the value of having a mentor in a young professional’s career.
“You need to be surrounded by people,” Wall explains. “As we near the tops of these peaks, you’ll require professional coaching.” You’ll need people to give you honest and critical appraisals of where you’re at, as well as suggestions for things that have worked for them and might work for you.”
4) You’ll Need Time to Think.
Wall realized the relevance of the wisdom she’d already internalized after witnessing the pandemic’s devastating effects on so many people.
Wall adds, “I already had the lessons and the wisdom I needed to bring myself back on track.“
“That’s why writing everything down felt so comfortable and cathartic.” I can maintain a grateful posture by looking about and saying, ‘You know, it’s really not that awful.'”
“The happiest, most productive, most well-rounded employees are going to be the ones who have a full and rich life that their job complements,” she adds for bosses.
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5)You have the Ability to Create a Balance Between Appreciating the Now and Making Plans For the Future.
Setting priorities ensures that we don’t lose sight of what’s most essential to us.
“I always wanted to be a wife, I always wanted to be a mother, I always wanted to have a good family life,” the author says, “and that takes more importance.” Others may have different priorities, which is fine; however, the author urges us to maintain what is most important to us at the forefront.
At the same time, even in the midst of all that upheaval, it’s crucial to remember to pause and smell the roses. “You can miss the beauty of what you have right in front of you when you’re laser-focused on the long-term, further down the road,” Wall adds. “It’s the little things that matter.”