Make this one resolution and you will have a great life
According to research, the top New Year resolutions are; to improve fitness, finances, mental health, diet, lose weight, sleep better, make more time for loved ones, stop smoking, and learn a new skill.
Unfortunately, these New Year resolutions are waiting to be broken by the end of March.
It's always better to choose a single goal. Setting and focusing on a single goal make it easier to achieve it.
What are your new year resolutions? Well, here is the main question I have for you — Is there a New Year resolution that you are avoiding — a project, a decision, a commitment that you are unwilling to take on at this moment?
The two follow-up questions are - what are the costs of delaying taking action? What are the benefits to be gained if you started to move towards this important goal?
One resolution I believe is critical to our well-being, but don’t often pursue with intentionality is - to pursue our work with passion and enjoy it.
How we engage at work has been found to be a significant factor in our overall life experience. Unfortunately, many have accepted that going through the daily grind without much joy and meaning is OK so long as you can pay the bills.
No! You can do better. Our work should bring about fulfilment, not stress and deteriorating mental health.
We may be living through a difficult job market in a rather uncertain economic environment.
However, there are options. With intentional action you can design or choose the type of work you do and how you do it.
Hence, we have an incredible opportunity to pursue our work with meaning and joy and serve the communities we are part of.
For many people in the world, work is no longer as physically demanding and dangerous to human health as it was a century ago.
Today, many professionals work with phones and computers which allows them connect to over a billion people.
These tools make it possible to work from anywhere in the world and offer our products and services to anyone, everywhere.
Given the opportunities that abound and the freedom to choose our vocation, one might expect that most people will find joy and meaning in their work.
Unfortunately, the employee engagement statistics tell a worrying story. In its State of the Global Workplace Report 2024, Gallup concludes that globally, only 23% of employees are engaged at work.
The majority of employees (62%) are ‘quiet quitting’ or doing the bare minimum. 15% are actively disengaged.
Many would not doubt this report given their experience in the workplace. You know of colleagues who might have given up on their jobs.
They have no joy at work and are looking for the next thing. They show up because of the surveillance system and the pay check.
There are several reasons for the high number of unengaged employees. My intention is not to analyse the situation or to attribute blame. I aim to share ideas that will enable every worker to enjoy the forty hours they spend at work every week.
Here are your options;
Option A: Create your dream job.
You may have more to offer, but you are limited by your work situation. The work environment may not be healthy for you. You are not in the role that makes use of your great abilities. You expected the situation to improve, but the situation has not changed for some time now. Are you going to wait it out another decade? I am not asking you to resign today. However, in this hour, you can resolve to plan and take actions that will enable you to start your dream project twelve months from today. It may start as a side hustle you undertake in the evening or weekend.
Option B: Change your perspective.
If you love your job, then do not allow your compensation or boss’s attitude to determine your level of engagement. I understand the situation can be demotivating. As one leader said, “They pretend to pay, and they also pretend to work”. Change your perspective. Choose to work for your “inner boss” rather than for a company or a boss. You cannot hone your craft if you are pretending all the time. How do you find joy and meaning if you are not engaged in the work? You can choose your response to the situation you find yourself in. Decide to associate with those who are happy and excited at work, it will rub off on you.
Option C: Care for what you have today.
You may not like the job but you are not ready to walk away because the because you love the paycheck. If this is your situation, then make peace with it and enjoy your labour so long as you remain in the role. Commit to engage fully on the job. Remember, the grass is always greener on the other side. Accept and enjoy what you have as you support your organisation to achieve its goals. How would know you like the job or not if have not given it your all. Decide to maintain a positive attitude and the passion will follow.
We must all do our daily work with all joy as unto the Lord, no matter the vocations we pursue.
This is good for our well-being. If you have been finding it difficult to show up at work because you have lost your mojo, then you have to act now.
Let's work together to break the engagement epidemic and create a happier world where we all thrive in our vocations.
Be of good cheer.
The writer is a Leadership Development Facilitator, Executive Coach and Strategy Consultant, Founder of the CEO Accelerator Program, (https://ceoacceleratorprogram.org) and Chief Learning Strategist at TEMPLE Advisory (www.thelearningtemple.com).
The mission of The Leadership Project is to harvest highly effective leadership practices and share them in a manner that other leaders can easily incorporate into their leadership practice. If you have an idea or leadership practice to share, kindly write to programs@thelearningtemple.com.
Until you read from us again, keep leading…..from leader to leader, one practice at a time.