How to maintain the joy in your work and still achieve
Busy and successful seem to have a synonymous meaning in our fast-paced society that glorifies a hectic schedule. “The busier the better” is a motto many young professionals live and breathe by.
But let me ask you this question. Have you ever stopped to get a latte before work and felt that it just wasn’t made with love? It tasted like an assembly lined, too-busy-to-care, push out ASAP scalding hot mess with no foam and no delectability? On the other hand, you’ve probably experienced a latte that felt like a vacation in a cup…made with care, foamed to perfection, and silky smooth to taste (oh and the latte art to top it off was absolutely divine!).
Which did you prefer?
Listen, the Capricorn in me loves structures and results! I’m not one to promo “patience is a virtue”, I’m all about lightning-fast speed and instant gratification. But I’ve come to the realization that it’s easy to fall into a business trap similar to the rushed latte. If you aren’t taking the necessary time to put in the devoted attention your projects deserve, your clients will receive the vibe in which your work has been produced.
Therefore, if you are checking off boxes on your to-do list just to say you did it but did each task devoid of joy, is that really success?
I noticed that as the leader of my company, it’s my job to tempo the pace of my team and my projects. Entrepreneurship results in many demands at once…which is possible to achieve in ways that are fun and flowing.
Here are my hot tips to find peace in success and ditch the burnt-out-on-busy vibe. If you do these things you will set yourself free to create from a place of love and joy instead of bottom of the barrel fumes.
- Set boundaries on your to-do list. Setting clear goals and intentions for yourself and your team is the key to moving forward with ease and excitement. Knowing your boundaries when it comes to your maximum workload is essential to making sure you preserve the process entailed to accomplish them. For me, now 20 years into entrepreneurship, I know my boundary is taking on three major projects at a time. When first starting out, I recommend one major project. This helps guide everyone to dial-in precision, clarity, connection, and focus. When you allow this space for intentional and gratifying achievement, get ready to rock it, not just work it!
- Prioritize your passion. I’m a firm believer that how a person does one thing is how they do all things. And when working with my clients and staff I know how important something is to them not just by what they say, but by what they do. As a leader, I understand the root of success comes from the drive to accomplish a vision through both words and actions, and hire a team that is equally as dedicated and passionate. Always make sure that what you are doing is what you want to be doing…it makes a huge difference in productivity!
- Harmonize your calendar. You’ll hear me say it over and over again, your calendar is your most important accessory! Everything….and I mean everything goes on my calendar. Now, this doesn’t mean obsess about it and suck the joy out of the scheduling process with all your highlighters and post-its, etc. This is meant to be a precision tool so that you can find harmony in all areas of your life. By scheduling your work tasks, personal obligations, family time, outings with friends, spirituality, and self-care routines you will be less apt to skip over some of these key pieces to overall happiness.
In order to accelerate meeting your goals, I recommend planning out a month at a time. Look at where you want to be in 4 weeks and then work backward from there. What little goals and steps need to be met in order to get to where you want to go? When it’s on paper and you can see it, the process feels a lot less chaotic.
Using these three tips will guide you to take care of yourself, avoid burnout, meet your goals, and still stay just as passionate about what you’re doing even on the days when it feels like there is so much to do. Overwhelm has no place in a clear, connected, and aligned lifestyle. An entrepreneur truly thrives when they stay in their most joyful and creative space. By doing the above, you will allow yourself to stay in that realm. By taking good care of yourself and taking appropriate, inspired-action, the love for the process will remain on top of the priority list to reach ultimate success and have you scaling long-term…that’s a promise!