Every summer seems to have a theme. I’ve had “travel summers” and “fun summers” and “relaxing summers” – this was a “thinking summer.” I spent A LOT of time hiking, gardening, driving, and sitting by the lake, and these activities gave me the time and space to think. One big epiphany I had as a result of all this thinking is (drum roll ? please):
Levels of happiness, joy, and contentment are due, in large part, to perceptions. And perceptions are super malleable. Hmmm… let’s illustrate this with some real-life examples.
I could think of my daily walk as a hot, sweaty chore. Or I can choose to think of my daily walk as my “me-time,” a chance to connect with nature, or an uninterrupted mini-vacation away from a long to-do list.
My new low-saturated fat diet could be thought of as “OMG, how am I going to live without butter?” Or I can choose to think of my new low-saturated fat diet as an adventure into new tastes, cultures, and cooking experiences.
I could think about weeding as a backbreaking endless slog. Or I can choose to reframe weeding the gardens as a chance to have some precious time outside while getting some exercise.
Same actions, but wildly different feelings.
Mind games, you say? Yes! And mind games are not all bad when used for good! Easy? Not really. Like anything, it takes practice, and it’s not foolproof because every day I still miss butter (and chocolate; cookies too).
So how do we apply this to work? Likely any task that we know is good for us, our members and association could benefit from this idea if we are mired in a drudgery mindset.
We don’t have enough time…
Or money…
Or patience…
Or skills…
How might you switch your perceptions, your board’s perceptions, or your staff’s perceptions so this aspect of work feels more satisfying?
Welcome back from Summer!
