TODAY IS THE DAY

“People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care” Theodore Roosevelt

If you are sick and tired of going to work then you need a professional re-frame. You have lost your way and need to inject a sense of meaning back into your daily grind. There are certain thought habits that can lead you there. Try some of the following ways to find purpose in your day to lead to a rich and fulfilling work life.

Find a way to truly care for others and connect to what they are going through in their life. Take interest in their hobbies and passions. I have never had a more fulfilling day than when I slowed down and had a meaningful conversation with someone. Every person has such an interesting view of the world and every person is a hero in their own story. If you don’t challenge yourself to see life from another person’s point of view and learn their origin story, you will never be able to grow as a person. The smartest people I know are open to other’s ideas and truly listen and extract value from every moment and interaction. Have you tried re-centering your day away from the hustle and bustle of accomplishment long enough to savor a precious conversation with another human being? The only way to let others know you truly care is by taking the time to listen to their story. I have learned more about myself this way than I ever imagined. Practice sending love to all your customers, coworkers, patients, families before you start each workday. I always wish all of my patients and their families moments of peace and comfort, free of suffering before I start work each and every day. Even if I can contribute in a small way to making this happen, I know I have won the day.

Connect the company mission statement with YOUR purpose or make your own. Think of it this way – YOU are your own boss, your own personal brand, working autonomously to hone your craft within a company framework. I don’t identify with a corporate label. I cultivate inner strength every day to be the best version of myself. I sketch out ideas on how I can sharpen my own skills to bring me closer to my own personal goals and dreams. You can use all the resources around you to move you closer to who and where you want to be in life. Do you want to be a speaker one day or do you want to help conquer your feelings of social anxiety? – then volunteer to present at work, make that phone call, or sit with the upset client or customer to hone your skills of dialogue with others. Do you want to cultivate your writing skills to finally write that novel? – then practice writing those reports or charts with flair and creativity. As Cal Newport says; “Be so good they can’t ignore you” and in the process, you have now developed skills that no one can take away from you. It doesn’t matter where you work or who you work for, you have done the inner work. Challenge yourself every day to improve your mindset to be one geared toward learning, practicing, and self-development and the benefits are limitless. View yourself as the CEO of your own work-life and meet each workday with integrity and discipline.

Finally, challenge yourself to get 1% better today AND utilize the phrase I often say “your future self will thank you”. Every day challenge yourself to improve a small amount on one thing. Perhaps it is single-tasking to more efficiently write that code or chart or report instead of trying to hold a conversation on slack while having 20 other browsers open. Try new things and experiment to see how that helps your productivity. Perhaps it’s timing yourself on mini-projects or tasks and trying to improve on your previous times. You might try the Pomodoro method of 25 minutes of intense focus with a 5-minute break. During any bits of downtime ask yourself – is there something I can be doing right now to make the next thing I have to do easier? That might be drawing up vaccines before the appointment, tidying your desk, making a quick list of phone calls you still have to make, or even taking a deep breath to reset. When I don’t feel like doing work, I become extremely motivated by the knowledge that my work won’t just disappear and I will eventually have to do it. If not today, then when? Will I have to do it on the weekend when I want to enjoy a nice dinner with my parents who are visiting, or when I want to take my children to the park, or when I want to take that nice walk for myself in the woods? My future self will thank me when I know at the end of my workday I have ticked all the boxes, accomplished all my goals, and wrapped everything up.

Work is important but YOU are more important. You should wake up each day and be thankful for your job for that is where you have the ability to develop yourself in any way you can conceive. Re-frame your thoughts and find a way to connect to your true purpose. You will love your job if you can just find a way to value and connect with those around you, hone your own skills in connection to your life and professional goals, and utilize your job to become 1% better every day. Embrace those difficult tasks you normally put off in service to your future self and finally lift the burden of knowing your works tasks will encroach on your personal time. You are not beholden to your title or your work environment. Be a thoughtful and industrious person to accomplish your own work goals with great mastery and I promise that you will cultivate a great fulfillment in yourself that will overflow into other aspects of your life. Try out a professional re-frame.