“I’ve had an aha moment that my workplace is not meant to meet my personal needs.”
This exact declaration was courtesy of one of my coaching clients.
I think it was Mark Twain who once said “find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” And because Mark Twain seems like a pretty reputable dude I’m going to have to agree with him. Unfortunately the masses tend to misunderstand this timeless quote to mean that you must be passionate about your work, that your work must fulfill you, that your work must bring you unadulterated bliss every moment of everyday. That seems like a lot of pressure for something that on average only constitutes about 28% of your life.
William Faulkner once dubbed Twain as the father of American literature, so I would venture to guess that he was a man who chose his words carefully. He didn’t say “find a job that you LOVE doing” or “find a job that twitterpates you” or “find a job that makes your toes tingle like an overwhelming orgasm” – he said “find a job you ENJOY doing”.
I enjoy my work.
I enjoy leaving a positive impact on the lives of those I coach.
I enjoy providing impactful, memorable sales training that improves lives and the bottom line.
I enjoy tailoring and sharing my knowledge of improv comedy with sales teams all over the country.
I enjoy teaching the importance of storytelling in developing and establishing relationships.
…this list could go on.
But where do I turn to recharge and refuel?
Of course a closed deal definitely puts gas in the tank (figuratively and literally) but it’s Sunday’s at home ‘watching’ sports with my husband, the joy we share in decorating for the holidays and shamelessly binging Emily in Paris that keep my motor running.
You see, you have to allocate time for down time. I see you cringing my high performer friends but hear me out.
Resting is energizing and with energy comes better clarity and with clarity comes improved planning and decision making – all because you recommitted to that hot yoga class or finally picked up the cross stitch you laid down when you opened the door to the C suite or actually watched your son’s soccer game instead of using the time to clandestinely check emails on the sidelines.
It is imperative that you take care of your personal and psychological needs outside of the office. The self-care trend might make you shudder a little but there’s something to all that ‘you can’t pour from an empty cup’ ideology. Also, when you don’t leave yourself room to breathe, your creativity suffers. And I’ve talked myself blue in the face about how creativity is the key to increased production and imperative for growth and innovation.
Of course you spend A LOT of time on the company clock but letting your work define you could very well be what prevents you from becoming exceptional at the office. Where to start? I like this visual metaphor from ‘The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People’ by Stephen Covey about leaving room for what matters.
Ready for more tips on how rest can actually improve your work life? Let’s chat!
