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What is there to LOVE about Work?

It seems more and more of us are experiencing days when work just seems to explode. It's either that it just comes at us faster and harder, or that there's that one issue that becomes so much more than in needed to be. And there's this constant balancing act between nurturing the relationships and checking of the "done" box on the "to do" list.

And the bigger picture of why you do what you do in the world seems to fade away.

Take some time to remind yourself of your bigger purpose. Take a deep breath and exhale. Identify one thing that's the most important for tomorrow to feel successful. Ask what you need to do to protect that success. This becomes an anchor to get you to rest tonight, and to get excited again to get back in the game tomorrow.

The other thing is to ask yourself during dinner, or a walk in the rain, along the beach, what you need to help you succeed. It may be impossible to get this resource even this year, but what could help you build a career of which you're proud. The dramatic changes in careers happen over time. Vision it, find the smaller action steps and then do the actions. What I love about the work I'm doing with my current clients, is that I can see where they are going, and whether or not they see it too, it seems so logical and inevitable from my coaching standpoint. I often fail to see that in myself.

I even miss the growth and development trajectory of my own past.

So take a moment to dream of what a day at work would be with joy and laughter and ease, with the appropriate amount of risk and challenge, rather than the overwhelm that you might feel now. Plan to brainstorm with your supervisor around solutions. We always ask for more headcount and more money, but what are other creative solutions? Doing less? Pausing certain projects? Getting a brilliant local intern who gets college credit and a small stipend? Working from home? Come up with ideas that meet your needs and the company goals. And most of all: practice patience and think win-win.

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