Stand on Your Mountain vs Raising the Bar.

I’ve been hearing a lot lately about the need to raise the bar. Raise the bar on your career aspirations, on your client outreach, or on your work. The idea is that we should always be striving for more, pushing ourselves to reach higher and achieve greater things. It sounds motivating, doesn’t it? But for many of us—especially if you’re in the middle of a job search, career pivot, or agency reinvention—this concept can actually be more demotivating than empowering.

Here’s why: Raising the bar often implies that what you’ve done so far isn’t enough. It shifts the focus away from your accomplishments and places it on what you haven’t yet achieved. It makes you feel like you’re always falling short, always chasing something just out of reach. And let’s be honest, in times of uncertainty, that’s the last thing you need.

So, I propose a different metaphor—one that’s more rooted in your journey and your unique path: Stand on your mountain.

Why? Because you’ve spent your entire career climbing that mountain. Every step, every stumble, every triumph has brought you to where you are today. Some days were tough, really tough. Others were a smooth climb through challenging terrain. But the point is, you made it. And when you’re standing on top of your mountain, you have a vantage point that’s entirely your own.

This mountain represents your angularity—the unique combination of skills, experiences, and perspectives that make you who you are. You’ve honed your craft, developed your expertise, and become an authority in your field. So why belittle everything you’ve achieved by constantly raising the bar higher and higher? Instead, take a moment to appreciate the view from where you stand.

But what if you feel lost along the way? Maybe you’ve found yourself in a valley instead of on a peak. The knee-jerk reaction might be to become a generalist, to take on everything that comes your way in hopes of finding the right path. But if you do that, you’ll just be climbing another mountain, leaving the one you’ve already conquered behind.

Instead, take a breath. Look around. You might be surprised to realize just how far you’ve come. You don’t need to raise the bar—you need to see the view. From the height you’ve already reached, you have the perspective to map out your next steps with clarity and purpose.

And if you need help—another set of eyes, a guiding hand, or even just a pair of binoculars—reach out. We’re here to help you see the path forward, to navigate the terrain, and to find your next [next].

Because from where you’re standing, the possibilities are endless. You just need to see them.