Feel More Alive at Work

It’s that time of year when we’re starting to experience longer days here in the northern hemisphere, and perhaps the extra sunlight and warmer temperatures are giving you a bit more energy. Do you feel the same sort of increasing energy around your work?

We all want the hours we spend working to be life-giving.  According to a global study conducted by the Beautiful Work Lives Collective, Aliveness is a key element of a healthy, meaningful, and successful career. It is defined as a feeling of being fully alive, awake, and fueled by work, having a positive balance of energy-giving versus energy-draining moments, and using your passion, curiosity, and creativity.

So how do you experience more aliveness in your work?

Identify what makes you feel most engaged.

How we choose to work often matters just as much as what we do. While there may be established processes and procedures within your organization, there is likely greater flexibility in the way you accomplish a goal than you acknowledge.

When you start a new project, do you like to:

• Talk it through with a coworker?

• Dive straight into the data?

• Make a to-do list?

• Tell others about it and get them on board?

Do your actions make you feel energized and alive, or do you feel drained?

Keep track of the things that are both effective and feel the best. Do more of them, even if it’s not what has been modeled for you in the past. In the long run, respecting your personal preferences as you work towards your goals will lead to both greater satisfaction and success.

Find the parallels between your professional goals and team objectives.

No one wants to feel like a cog in a machine or do work that feels meaningless. If that’s where you are right now, it may be helpful to take a step back and assess your situation before making a drastic change. Ask yourself questions like:

• What could I learn through my current responsibilities that helps me on a personal level?

• Are there upcoming opportunities that would align with my strengths and interests? How can I position myself to be included in this work?

• What part of my team’s common purpose do I most relate with?

• How does the work I do benefit people beyond me?

When we focus on these things, we are more likely to feel engaged in our work.  

Choose to celebrate.

Too often, we forget to slow down enough to acknowledge our achievements. We simply move on to the next thing. However, celebration is a critical part of feeling more alive at work. It redirects our focus to the positive and shifts our mindset.

Celebrations don’t have to be large, public, time-consuming, or expensive. They simply need to be intentional. Maybe on the days when you check everything off your professional to-do list, you take a moment to sit in your favorite chair and savor a small piece of your favorite candy before starting a load of laundry. Maybe you find a private corner of the office, put on your headphones, and dance to your favorite song after closing a deal. Decide what milestones you will celebrate and give yourself permission to acknowledge them. 

When we feel alive in our work, it improves our overall well-being and energy levels. Work becomes more enjoyable, and we feel more productive.

Here’s to you experiencing more Aliveness!