Have you ever had a phrase come to you in a dream and you thought, “oh, I have to write that down?”
And then you didn’t wake yourself up to write it down?
That happened again last night.
(Photo by Johannes Plenio on Unsplash)
It was about searching for solutions to symptoms instead of curing the actual illness.
I can’t remember the catchy phrase, but I can tell you that your resume, LinkedIn profile and number of applications are just the short-term solutions to the epidemic of unhappiness at work.
If you were raised to believe that getting a good job was the entire point of being on the planet you’re not alone. My personal sense is that this dissonance is what is causing so many other challenges. I’m not saying that aligning your heart with your work is going to stop war and mayhem (but maybe?) —
What do you think?
Is there a possibility that finding work that satisfies you - as a human - will help calm your nervous system and allow you to relax into your life in a new way?
Let’s figure it out together.
This week, I encourage you to get out a piece of paper and a pen (or marker, or crayon, or pencil) and write out :
What made you happy when you were a kid. Write the first 10 things and then write another 20. Write down (or draw) the story of how you lost time when you were doing whatever it was - playing with your Lincoln Logs in the family room while mom and dad argued around you? Making up tales of romance and wonder with Barbie and friends? Running around the backyard pretending to be a monster a spy or a fairy in the forest. Doesn’t matter. Keep writing.
Look at your list/stories and highlight any words that make you FEEL something - happiness or fear, doesn’t matter. If you have a visceral reaction in your body to a word, go ahead and use a highlighter, or underline it or circle it with a bright color.
Take a walk outside for 10 minutes (more, if you feel you can make that happen). Don’t take your phone. I promise you’ll survive.
(Photo by Benjamin Davies on Unsplash)
Let your mind wander and reflect on what it was about those happy moments that had your attention.
Reflect on whether or not any of those skills, values, activities have ever shown up in your work life. Why or why not?
Come back to your list of happy memories and write down a practical list of ways those activities can show up in your work life. For instance, if you were building those Lincoln Log villages is there a way you create community (or actually work at designing spaces)?
Write a list of industries, companies or job titles that will allow you to bring some of that happy with you to work. (Don’t worry if it makes ‘sense', that’s what got you here in the first place).
Now, send me a note and let me know what you’ve discovered in this process. Because I want to help you get to the cure for your job malaise, not simply cover up the bruises.
Here’s to your happy at work.
Peggie
Work with Me
One to One coaching spaces are available for July. Book here.
The next episode of Adoptees at Work with Robin Davis releases on Thursday. You can hear about Robin’s experience as an adoptee and a single mom who worried about being selfish for keeping her child, and how that spurred her on to success in her accounting career.