Wouldn’t it be great if you could enjoy your work more without making any big changes? Here are three simple ways to get there…
#1 - Realize that More Worry Doesn't Create More Success
Worry is awesome — truly! It's a great little helper for creating backup plans and risk assessments; however, this little helper can get wildly out of control when left on repeat.
The thought, "What if it rains during the golf tournament, our biggest annual fundraiser?" could be a legitimate concern and something you want to plan for. However, after a plan is in place, circling on the worry, "What if it rains?" uses up your precious mental energy and keeps you from having new and helpful ideas.
The next time you catch yourself in a worry loop, consider whether there are any actions to take. If there's nothing constructive to do then the worry won't be constructive either. You can move on.
#2 - Get Curious About What Others Think
Most of us have experienced a colleague or customer who suggests things that are apropos of nothing or are downright annoying. It's easy to get aggravated with this person, write them off as a nuisance and avoid them at all costs, making necessary interactions that much worse.
But here's a universal truth: A person will only do, or say, what makes sense to them in the moment.
When someone's actions conflict with your logic, it can be fascinating, educational, and useful to get curious about the other person's thought process; not in a condescending, "What on earth were you thinking!?" way, but in a "That hadn't occurred to me. Tell me more." way.
You may discover that the other person's perspective does in fact bring something new to the conversation, but even if it doesn't, and you still disagree with them, you will have learned more about their line of reasoning.
You can use that understanding to improve future interactions.
#3 - Praise Yourself Often
Someone saying, "I'm busy." is kind of like someone saying, "I breathe air." We all have to-do lists that will outlive us.
The thing is, you're already a productive person; there's a lot that does get crossed off your lists. But how often do you pause to praise yourself for it?
Most people focus on the "not yet done" stack. Very few take the time to acknowledge or celebrate what has gotten done. One reason for this is that most actions feel mundane — and of course, they are!
Sending a person to the moon was an epic accomplishment, but it was only attained through years of less-than-extraordinary action items.
BJ Fogg, the Stanford researcher and author of Tiny Habits, has proven the value of pausing to privately celebrate when you perform a new behavior. This technique is also helpful for shifting your mental attention from your overwhelming to-do list to what you have already accomplished.
It's no secret that you do better when you feel better. Once you reflect positively on what you've just done, you will naturally begin the next task from a better place.
So the next time you mark something off your list, no matter how small, take a second to celebrate and give yourself an internal high-five.*
You might be pleasantly surprised!
*Note: One of my favorite features on Trello... If you add a confetti horn to the title of your list, you get an animated spray of confetti every time you move a card there.
Add one to your team's board this week and surprise them with a little cheer.
Artwork: Joyous Note by Karl Schrag