I wonder how many people reading this have ever felt out of their depth at work or in life? We start new challenges or go for new jobs & promotions and suddenly find ourselves working long hours to achieve our targets and success.
Always go for the opportunities that catch your eye, especially if they are part of your goals and your aspirations and when you do just be sure to be self-aware in the choices you make and take every step with your eyes open!
At 26, I fell into my first management position. It was intense, exciting and I was earning good money. I was determined to succeed but it was also extremely daunting and behind my smile I had self-doubt, I lacked confidence and I felt like I was treading water and at any moment I might sink.
To counteract my self-doubt and lack of confidence I worked harder, I worked longer, I enrolled on courses and slept less. As hard as it was, it was a phenomenal learning curve!
I learned quickly and achieved success in my role and the project I managed to exceed its targets but in doing so at that time I lost all sense of balance. I was so busy working hard I lost sight of the things that were important to me like relationships, health, fitness, and “me” time. I had little or no time to reflect on myself, my goals, my values, my motivation, or my dreams.
For many years I had no plan, I had no idea about what direction I was going in and an increasing sense of discontent. It’s hard to be satisfied in your day-to-day job if it’s just a job that you just landed in because it was the next one that came along without any thought.
I confused my lack of direction with a sense of not being enough, so I trained and studied harder. For twenty years I have worked hard and had successful roles, but my well-being and personal balance has suffered. In 2022 I decided I needed to take a “Time Out” and in January 2023 I became Freelance and better able to manage my day to day.
I have paused and taken time to recharge and re-introduce some things that are just for me. I am prioritising the things that I already must handle.
Smiling
When we smile, we release hormones that make us feel better, and smiling is hard to resist so this is something you get to share with everyone around you so you can pass on your little bit of happiness.
Exercising
I have been prioritising time to exercise to help with my joint pains and my fitness. Walking the dogs, cycling and even some gym sessions are now art of my week. It’s good for my body and it’s great for my mind!
Be Grateful
It’s easy to get stuck in a place where we feel negative about a lot of things around us. I was grumbling and could only see the downside of things for a while. I have taken the time to say thank you to others, or to find a silver lining in difficult times. The more positivity we look for, the more we will find.
Get into Nature
I have been outdoors more and more. This has also meant volunteering with a project called Coed Lleol who have been running sessions at Swiss valley reservoir, right here in Llanelli.
Working on ways to support my own happiness has been important and I will continue to do it. I am now putting myself and my goals first and this means that my day-to-day work is about what I want to achieve and based on what motivates me and energises me.
