Your work is a large part of your life and comes in many forms that may not be so clear. The obvious is when you do certain things to get paid. A job, a career, pick your label. Work can also be paying your bills, learning new skills, hosting an event.
You can do better work in all areas by making it meaningful and something you enjoy from your heart.
It reminds me of when I earned my NLP master practitioner certification,
I had to do a modeling project and present it to my class. My old self could’ve worked herself up and been a perfectionist about it. So, I paused. I set an intention to do the best and most creative job I could and let go of trying to control the outcome. I had faith it would go well.
Now, of course, I did things to make this a successful situation. And, I also enjoyed myself exploring Vancouver. I visited the Art Museum, enjoyed the interesting shops, walked a lot, slept well, and even found some authentic India masala tea.
The best part is what resulted without effort.
I did my modeling project on a Buddhist “letting go” process. This involved me laying out literally step-by-step the key steps of the strategy on a sensory level. And, the day before something dawned on me. I’d brought these yummy Vosges chocolate bars which have the same type of mini-strategy on the back – about how to eat chocolate.
So, I made a separate modeling project for the chocolate. Gave everyone the strategy and let them enjoy the chocolate between the different student presentations.
And, when it came time for me to present, I gave out these white cards with patterns on them that I’d bought from one of the cute shops (just because they were beautiful). Now, everyone had “blank space” to write their notes on.
Throughout this time, I consistently worked with my modeling partner and did the work in small chunks. When it was time to present, I was relaxed and rested. All did go well. I received my certification plus I truly enjoyed the whole experience and the impact it had on the whole group.
I loved it because I convinced myself that “you’ve got to work hard” was both incorrect and limited my creativity. That work hard state of mind totally squashes innovative thinking, doesn’t it.
So, you too can do better work and enjoy the process. Keep in mind the following three ways you can miss the opportunity and what you can do about it.
3 Easily Missed Ways to Do Better Work
1. Relax and Be Confident
I’ve got to share. There’s not a single person I’ve ever coached that said being tense and stressed makes them feel confident. Please remember this. The absolutely number one ingredient to better work is to relax and confidently move through it. This means letting go.
No matter how much you want to – controlling the outcome, getting all perfectionistic about it – will hurt you not help you. I know this can be a big shift in your mindset and I certainly operated this way most of my career.
To just start moving in this direction, notice the relationship between how stressed you are and being confident. Ask yourself – what can you learn from the relationship between tension and confidence? And, if you’re comfortable with it, just imagine you could relax. How would that affect your experience?
2. Connect with Your Why
Without knowing why you’re doing something (from your heart), your work will be flat. It literally lacks energy. In my example, I was driven to be creative and share something to spread peace with others. This is the best fuel I could ever have to do better work.
Imagine if I told you that I was driven because I wanted to not fail, look silly in front of everyone, or just simply to get it done. Or even, I don’t know why I’m doing what I’m doing.
I’ll tell you a little secret. This is an even more powerful process to do better work when you name your Why for both yourself and for others.
3. Let Yourself Play
Sitting at a desk all day long, crunching numbers, being in non-stop meetings. These are not ways to let creativity into the picture. Get out. Yes, get out anywhere your heart leads you. It may be a walk, going into a music store, starting a chat with someone new. You can always create this space and it’ll probably save you a lot of time.
If you relax, feel confident, and are clear on your Why, this play time will naturally link back into what you’re doing. You’ve made a heartfelt intention and that’s more powerful than massive amounts of work on something where you’re unclear on why you’re doing it.
In Summary
Using the tools of relaxation, heart-felt intentions, and play will make your work so much better. You’ll enjoy doing things from your heart and they’ll mean something to you. This helps you in any area of your life where work arises. And, you can start today!
I’d love for you to pick one of the three ways to help you do better work. Take a baby step. Share in the comments what struck you about this new way and how it feels to try it out. It’s great to hear about your progress.
With a light heart.
Jennifer
