I'm back at work after roughly 40 days off, and, y'all. Where was I? It's hard to remember, since before we left for Scotland, I was also still recovering from Septicemia and wasn't working much. So it's really like... what was I starting to work on back in late April, when I got back from Ireland?
.... and looking through the pictures I uploaded on social media those weeks... I mean, it gives me the idea of what I was doing, but it's so far away! It's hard to really grok that that was even me. It's like I SEE that I was doing things, but don't FEEL a connection to those things. So much has happened this year. So much has changed. Not just this year, but the last two. The last few.
So.
Let me ask myself a few questions from a journaling exercise I saw while on vacation and completely ignored then. Questions designed to get you reconnected more with a traditional workplace, but... we'll see how I can warp them to be used by one person.
Focus on how you contribute
In truth, you won’t ever really feel energized for your work if you can’t see the contribution you’re making. Your contribution is exactly what it sounds like: what your work brings to the good of your organization, your coworkers, your boss, your country, or the world.
Try this: Ask yourself why you do the work you do. And no, not just, “I’m here for the pay and benefits.” Of course you are, but what was the reason you were drawn to this work in the first place? What is your unique contribution there, and what greater good do you serve by doing your work?
Why do I do the work I do? Why do I make things? Because I can't not. I am not capable of not making things, and I definitely don't have the room at home to keep every single thing I make. So I can either put them all in a storage unit for someone else to sort through years after I die... or I can sell the things I make, send the energy of the love and joy of making things out into the world, and share my enchantment of making. That's how I contribute; by putting good energy and fun art out into the world.
Nobody makes things exactly like me. Oh, sure, plenty of people make things that are categorically the same - mugs, soap, hand-dyed yarn - but only I can put my spin on it, my unique perspective. Even given the same blank mug and the same four colors, I'm sure nobody would paint it exactly like I would. And that one person who looks at something funky (and functional) that I make and has a gut reaction of "holy shit, I need that, it looks like it was made just for me"....? That's the person I Make for. That's the person I want to want my things.
Shift how you think about routine tasks
Day after day filled with the same to-do list can wear you down and suck the love out of your work—but that’s usually because you feel forced to do them. The fact is that you always have a choice, and remembering that you’re an adult with free will can renew your sense of empowerment at work.
Try this: Reframe the required. You can choose not to complete your weekly report, but chances are, doing so won’t get you closer to the raise you want. You can respond with frustration or anger at a last-minute email request at 5 pm, but choosing to respond with composure is more likely to help you—and get you home faster.
Well, I can try to reframe a couple of things, but I'm never going to like accounting or doing taxes, and I will probably routinely complain about them every time I'm doing them. Making the same thing over and over again? That, I can do, for a long while. There might come a day where I need to make a mug in a different color, or something, for some variety... but it takes a lot to get me tired of making something. Going back to the accounting - in the example, I can choose not to complete it but it probably won't get me a raise... hahahahaha, I'm supposed to be making money?!?!?! I can choose not to complete it but then my business is a mess. The best I can do is reframe how/when I work on things like that. As in, not all at once, and not all waiting until the last minute.
Savor past successes and set yourself up for more
Overwhelming work demands can make you forget all the good you’ve done to date, making you feel like you’re only as good as what you produced today. But your worth is also measured by your track record. By re-engaging with what makes you feel naturally talented and the ways you’ve been recognized for those talents in the past, you train your brain to look for and respond to more opportunities to do those things.
Try this: Remember where you naturally shine. Ask yourself what others have identified as your strengths.
I feel like a place I naturally shine is in the way that I put things together. Both the way I look at things and make connections, and the way that I assemble smaller things into a larger thing. Like the really detailed pieces I do like the fairy door/mushroom butter dishes, or the larger things I put together like themed crates or gift boxes.
I also shine in making connections with people. I love to give and get hugs at craft shows. I love to start conversations online and get people talking about a subject we're all enthusiastic about. I love to introduce people to things, places, or other people they would enjoy. I love a good deep heart-to-heart talk about feelings.
In the past, other people have called me ... resilient... caring... giving... a good person (I don't know about that, though, I mean, I have my moments, but..... lol)... talented... good at running a business both creatively and practically... good with animals (which kind of doesn't have much to do with work, usually, but in my case....? haha)... but are those strengths? Hmm. I will take them as such.
Now.
Am I ready to get back to work?