Friends of Dave #63: Going to Your Happy Place
Everyone has a happy place...even at work.
You know the old meditation technique: close your eyes, control your breathing, and envision yourself in your happy place.....ahh...
It may be hard for some of you to believe, but just typing it relaxes me (ok ok, I also clicked on the meditation link a few times). And while we often find ourselves needing to engage in this type of therapy due to stresses and pressures at work, I am here to tell you that, whether you realize it or not, you do have a happy place in your work life too.
No, your "happy place" is not a comfy break room chair, a secluded office gym, or even the handicapped stall in the restroom. It's the place you go mentally when you find yourself suddenly overwhelmed by a situation or set of tasks. It often happens when you get a promotion, take on an entirely new set of responsibilities, or start a new job at a new company. That "happy place" is where your inner confidence lives -- where you have complete control.
Of course, we are creatures of habit. Over our lifetime we all master sets of skills that become routine and comfortable for us. They may be people skills, problem solving skills, sales techniques, marketing strategies, types of financial models -- whatever they are for you, they become almost instinctive. And when you get put into a situation where there is uncertainty or chaos, you tend to gravitate to tasks or challenges that you like to do to get started, even if they may not be highest on the list of priorities. Going to your happy place helps make you feel good about yourself, feel comfortable and feel confident that you can handle what is to come.
My work happy place? I like to fix things, so I usually start by looking for anything that is broken -- because I know I usually can figure out how to fix it. And by fixing something that is broken, I guess I feel that I am usually helping in some way. Seems logical, but most people can only succeed there for so long. Over time you may find that your work happy place is not completely aligned with your work reality. That's when you need to get focused on the other things -- maybe the harder, less familiar things -- that you need to do as part of your role so that you can continue your path to success.
The good news with venturing out of your happy place -- it generally signals growth. And in many cases, it also allows your happy place to expand to include additional skills, experiences and more ways for you to feel confident the next time there is uncertainty. It makes your special happy place even better -- and who doesn't like that?
And with that, it is on to your weekend happy place aka this week's selections....and daylight saving time(?!?)....how did that get here so quick? Enjoy the weekend -- despite the one less hour of sleep we get Sunday...
XOXO
Dave
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