-How curiosity, appreciation and presence can level up everything.
Does your career feel lackluster? Is your role unfulfilling? Do you feel uninspired?
In the relentless pursuit of success and accomplishment, it’s easy to miss the small things that can have a huge impact on our work experience. The daily grind, routine tasks and seemingly mundane activities can obscure a treasure trove of inspiration and fulfillment waiting to be uncovered.
The ability to notice the extraordinary within the ordinary is a skill that changes how you work and live and the satisfaction you receive from both. Here are three guidelines to refresh your perspective and fuel your motivation.
Be curious, not conventional.
It’s easy to stay on autopilot doing the same old thing the same old way. However, when you take the time to ask questions, explore possibilities and dive into the details of everyday activities, you can unearth interesting opportunities. A tedious spreadsheet analysis could lead to a trailblazing insight. A regular client meeting might uncover a unique solution. A humdrum project can evolve into a platform for reinvention.
If you pay attention, the ordinary can be a canvas for creativity and innovation. Look for ways to refine, streamline or reimagine different areas of your work – and your life. Continuous improvement gives you a competitive edge and keeps your enthusiasm high.
Be appreciative, not apathetic.
Gratitude is a superpower that is often overlooked in the workplace. Colleagues, mentors and even those in more fringe roles play a crucial part in the daily tapestry of your life. When you acknowledge their efforts, no matter how small and express gratitude, you build meaningful relationships, elevating everyday interactions into surprising moments for career-changing collaboration.
Additionally, when you accept, anticipate and appreciate that not every day will be a triumph and not every project will go according to plan, you open the door to the perseverance needed to succeed. As you gratefully, not begrudgingly, take on challenges, learn from failures and persist in adversity, you build the resolve and resilience that define an astonishingly successful career.
Be actively present, not passively absent.
Cultivating a mindset of mindful presence allows you to slow down, become aware and make more intentional and productive choices. Don’t get caught in the hype of more, faster, better.
Many have been duped into believing that hectic equals productive. It doesn’t. Instead, it produces an illusion of productivity which hides a lack of meaningful progress. Bolster confidence and decision-making skills by noticing small victories and understanding what led to them. Sharpen problem-solving by addressing minor issues before they become major problems.
From the moment you get out of bed, fire up your laptop or step into your office, seize each activity with a higher dose of curiosity, appreciation and presence. This isn’t just a perspective shift but a profound transformation in how you work and live.
Spend enough days doing this and you’ll turn the mundane into the memorable, the routine into the remarkable and the ho-hum into groundbreaking.
You might even create a career and life brimming with satisfaction, fulfillment and inspiration.
Til next week,
Jo-Aynne Von Born
Work Your Authentic Genius.
What seemingly insignificant activity could you be more curious, appreciative or present to, at this very moment? Could you try it for a few minutes? What happens?
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