Tired of working hard? There is another way -

Tired of working hard? There is another way

December has been traditionally a month of hard work in my life. For the ten years I spent in the corporate world, every December I was swept by the fast paced end of year energy and pressure to achieve the annual targets, tick off as many to dos as possible and please my bosses so they don’t bother me much over the holiday period. I typically spent my winter holidays in exotic locations trying to forget almost everything about my work and many aspects of my daily life.

December brings painful memories

December brings painful memories

This is the first December of freedom for me. I may be free from the corporate pressure now, but my mind is still comfortable with that familiar feeling of December pressure and overwhelm. The more I connect with my new lifestyle and invite my desires into my life, the more it is obvious that leaving the corporate world, as big a step as it was, is not enough. Before I could begin to fully enjoy my business and my new lifestyle I needed to leave the corporate mindset. And that is not as easy to do as handing in your notice. And if you have even done it (handed in your notice), you know how hard that is!

Over the past months, I have been talking to many women who have recently left the corporate world in search of something more meaningful, both in terms of career and lifestyle, and they all seem to struggle with the same issue – a belief that hard work is the only way. Hard work syndrome can show itself in many ways: doing it all by yourself, putting pressure on yourself to do more, choosing work over self-care because clearly work is more important. We are so used to pain (working without enjoying the process, working under pressure, feeling tired and continuing to work) that we don’t even notice how we bring these habits into our new freedom-based career.

Does this sound familiar to you? How many times have you pushed yourself to do more in the past weeks? Or maybe you are procrastinating and feeling guilty, only to finally push yourself to do all that you need to do without leaving the house?

You may not see that there is anything wrong with working hard. I am not saying it is wrong. And I am not saying you need to go to the other extreme and not do any work. What I am saying is there is a choice: joy over hard work. Wouldn’t you agree that working when you are receiving pleasure from the process, being in the flow, giving yourself enough time to enjoy the beauty around you, pay attention to the needs of your physical body and then feel fulfilled and relaxed at the end of your day is a much more appealing way of working? Here is what you can do to shift your work mindset.

How to receive pleasure from your work

1. Track how you spend time, your energy levels and feelings

Do you know what activities you actually enjoy and what feels heavy?

journalI invite you to spend a couple of days (or longer if that feels good) tracking all your activities during the day, how much time you spend on them and how you feel during/after doing these activities. Pay particular attention to your energy levels: do you feel tired or re-energised? How do you feel: relieved that it’s over or joyful and fulfilled? Include all activities, not just work related ones, such as mediation, walking in the park, listening to music, chatting to your friend. The intention is to get clear on what activities you enjoy and where you get your energy from.

I suggest you keep a journal and record your observations throughout the day. This is also a good way to find time in your day to do what you think you don’t have time for, yoga for example. You may notice there are activities which don’t bring you joy and are not even useful,  watching TV or spending an hour on social media. Next time you will have a choice: to do what makes you feel good or just keep busy on autopilot.

2. Make self-care and fun part of your work schedule

We are so used to someone else being in change of our time when we are employed that we tend to bring other people’s belief about how to allocate our time into our new lives, even when there is no boss telling us what to do.

One of the most common issue I come across is that women who left the corporate still do not give themselves the self-care they desire because they see it as a low priority activity, as it was considered a low priority in their previous career. As you are your business’s most important resource, devoting time to your needs (physical, mental and emotional) is the most useful way to spend your working hours.

What feelings are coming up for you when after reading this sentence? Any reactions? Any thoughts along the line of “great, but meditating is not going to make me money”?  It may not make you money, but it may show you the easiest and most enjoyable way to make money.

Create a list of your self-care and daily fun needs. Here are some examples from my own list: daily mediation, stretching, weekly massages, manicures, hot bath when I feel like it, journalling, coffee with a friend at least once a week, dancing, talking to my family.

On Monday, I met for coffee with my dear friend Rita. It inspired me and gave new ideas

On Monday, I met for coffee with my dear friend Rita. It inspired me and gave new ideas

What are yours? Do you want to have afternoon naps or morning walks? Now put them into your schedule. You can use different colours for different type of activities to make sure there is a balance. Remember: you already deserve the self-care and fun you desire in your life without needing to prove, achieve or earn something first.

3. Infuse more intention into your daily work

Mindless working is a common symptom for us former corporates. When we were used to doing everything because we had to or because someone demanded it, it is difficult to think about work in terms of joy or pleasure or choose the easiest path.

What has changed my life was bringing intention into my work.

At the beginning of each week and day spend time thinking about what is important to you and what you wish to accomplish and how you want to enjoy the process. This is not the same as writing your to-do and goals list. It is time to get very mindful of how you want to feel and what experiences you are seeking. Then, throughout the day, pause and remember your intention.

Knowing what your intention is will allow you to make conscious choices about what activities serve you and your business at any given moment.

I would love to hear from you

How do you approach work? Do you feel pressure to do more or are you enjoying the freedom to choose what feels good? Do you think you need to work hard to achieve anything? Share your answers in the comments area below.

If you like this article, please share it with friends via email or social media.

Are you a former corporate who desires to create an inspired life and work in a way that brings you joy?

winter-look2How would you like to receive guidance on how to infuse more you and your desires into your business? Are you ready to explore how to bring more pleasure into your life and business and find out how you can replace pressure and hard work with joy and inspiration and attract your ideal clients and opportunities when you are in this energy?

I invite you to book a complimentary discovery session with me here to find out if my VIP day is right for you.

 

 

 

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