91视频

Operating in the day-to-day work world can conjure up more dread than desire. Clients have shared they find it harder to stay focused; they fear dropping the ball; and they have experienced diminished capacity in handling difficult situations or people. Work seems to take more energy to produce results with less fulfillment.

In a recent resiliency workshop, I led participants in an exercise to discover what they wanted more and less of in their lives. Not surprisingly, 90 percent of the respondents identified wanting more time and less stress. There was also a desire for more collaboration, less meetings, more connection, less chaos, more clarity, less friction, and more of a sense of purpose.

What would you do with more time?

If you reflect on your workdays, how do you currently spend your time? If you don鈥檛 know, you鈥檙e not alone. Many professionals find their days to be a whirlwind, reacting to the incessant requests coming from all directions. For months I had a post-it note attached to my computer screen, prompting me to be intentional with my time by asking the simple question: 鈥淚s the time I am spending on this task proportionate to its importance?鈥� The prompt helps me assess if I am spending the right amount of time on the task at hand and if what I am doing is bringing value. It also keeps me from making things harder than they need to be, because work will expand to the time we give it. Where we spend our time is an indication of what we believe to be most important, and sometimes that feels more like prioritization by default.

My friend and coaching colleague Sally Anne Carroll challenges her readers in a recent newsletter with a nudge: 鈥淲hat are you going to finally get around to doing?鈥� I found it both jolting and inspiring. It is an invitation to put into motion whatever it is you want to make happen. She also reminds us that 鈥渋t鈥檚 hard to achieve what we believe cannot exist.鈥�

When our days are crammed with meetings, we have little time to be creative or to do the kind of deep work that is generative. Author Dr. Cal Newport鈥檚 definition of deep work refers to 鈥減rofessional activities in a state of distraction-free concentration that push your cognitive capabilities to their limit.鈥� It鈥檚 also the conduit to being in the rewarding and inspiring flow state.

When we lack clarity, our doubt expands, our wheels spin, and there is an uptick in procrastination. If it persists, we may find ourselves languishing 鈥� lacking focus and motivation. In this headspace, our workday can definitely feel more of a grind than any kind of meaningful contribution to our work, our colleagues, our organization, or our community.

Wanting less stress seems like a no-brainer. Who wouldn鈥檛? Yet before we toss stress to the curb, remember that stress can be a positive influence. It helps us get resourceful, creatively problem-solve, and get things done. Stress is required in expanding one鈥檚 comfort zone, building skills, gaining confidence, and feeling the glory of accomplishing something we thought we could not.

In my 鈥淏uilding Resiliency鈥� workshop, we examine a common source of stress: change. The fear of the unknown and with it, the lack of control and the likelihood of making mistakes, can feel daunting. We can choose to resist change or adopt it. Push back against it out of fear and habit, or examine it for potential value and growth. When we resist stress in whatever form it takes, it tends to persist. When we are in a place of resistance, we avoid and suppress stressors, and we get stuck.

Traits of resiliency

Resilient people embrace challenges, are open to new ideas and experiences, and find joy in the discovery process of learning and exploring. There is a fluidity to how they move through the day. As obstacles arise, they are not shut down. Instead, it鈥檚 a reframing of the problem, or a re-examination of the path and the ability to adapt accordingly. Resilient people tend to think in terms of what is possible and not what cannot be done. To sustain this, resiliency requires making choices from a place of high self and social awareness.

Resiliency is also buoyed by a clear connection to one鈥檚 purpose or sense of meaning in one鈥檚 work. Connecting your daily work world to your 鈥渨hy鈥� can keep you motivated and focused on what matters most. That doesn鈥檛 require having an altruistic profession. It can simply mean you know your strengths, passions and values so that you can contribute to something bigger than yourself.

Take the K Challenge:

• Know how you spend your time. Does it reflect your priorities? What deep work would you do if you made time for it?
• What do you find yourself wishing for? Make room for what you say want more of in your life by getting clear on what that is and placing boundaries on your time.
• Pay attention to the emotional energy you bring to your tasks. Is what you are doing draining or recharging you?
• What are you resisting? What conversation are you not having? What鈥檚 getting in your way (real or imaginary) that keeps you from experiencing more job satisfaction? What beliefs do you hold that no longer serve you?
• Where can you stretch your comfort zone and embrace change?
• What resiliency traits will you put into daily practice?
• How can you live your strengths, passions and values? A congruent, authentic life is energizing.

Ultimately, the invitation is to find what inspires you so that your daily grind becomes a rewarding day of accomplishment, teamwork, creative breakthroughs and growth. Not every day will be glorious, but the more we show up with clarity and courage, the more consistently we can enjoy the work world we create.

What brings you joy in your work?

Karen Natzel is a business therapist who helps leaders create healthy, vibrant and high-performing organizations. Contact her at 503-806-4361 or [email protected].

The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed in the preceding commentary are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Daily Journal of Commerce or its editors. Neither the author nor the 91视频 guarantees the accuracy or completeness of any information published herein.