Getting over yourself!

Get(ting) over yourself!

By Daryl M. Williams

January 4, 2013

As I took some time off from blogging and generally thinking over the extended holiday break known as Christmas Eve to New Year’s day, I realized a couple of things I thought were worth sharing (in no particular order:

·         Even when you enjoy your work, some days it is still work (Genius!)

·         Those Sprite What’s my Motivation commercials are excellent questions to ask ourselves Motivation

·         Some days you just have to muster up the will to climb the proverbial wall

I’m not unhappy at work or even having a super difficult day most days but as I reflected on 2012 and the years that came before it this topic seemed relevant. We have our up’s and down’s and work can be and routinely is one of those things. How do we move past a case of the Monday’s and focus so our work, whatever that may be, is what it should be, gives back, is deserving of the paycheck we’ll receive?

Here’s what I do:

1.    I allow myself to be unhappy. Sounds so simple but I have worked with people who for whatever reason, think being unhappy means they are ungrateful, unappreciative, malcontents and they beat themselves up as if it were fight-club. Can’t do that people, it’s unhealthy and I refuse to do it. Sometimes life requires you to express your displeasure whether verbally or otherwise but I don’t dwell. I figure out what’s my issue whether by honest self-assessment or by speaking with my executive board (more to come about them in future posts) and I work on resolving my issue.

2.    My motivation is many things, among them my reputation, my word, my family. I used to say with much pride ‘I don’t care what people think about me.’ I’m pretty sure I believed that’s how I felt but the reality of the modern and grown-up world I live in is that I’d better care and caring means doing my best to put my best foot forward, daily. As Socrates said, Regard your good name as the richest jewel you can possibly be possessed of - for credit is like fire; when once you have kindled it you may easily preserve it, but if you once extinguish it, you will find it an arduous task to rekindle it again. The way to gain a good reputation is to endeavor to be what you desire to appear.

3.    Climbing over that wall or muscling past adversity is a strong sign of character and since we’ll all face adversity of some sort, might as well start preparing to climb as opposed to turning and running.

Whether you’re working in a job or a career, I’d advise you to treat it like a treasure. Don’t focus too much on your down days, but learn from them and don’t allow your head to swell too much on your good days.

Daryl M Williams, MBA, M.S., is an adjunct professor, teaching Career Planning and Management as well as being a Career Coach. He is passionate about providing information to assist friends, family, students, alums, and even frenemies(really) in professional development and uses his management experience in Fortune 500, non-profit and private corporations to inform his decisions. Feel free to connect via LinkedIn.