Having had the most wonderful time on my sabbatical leave it’s soon time to return among the working and earning population (probably for the next 25 years or so!). I could write a long post about my take-outs from this special period of time which is ending soon, but instead I decided to look forward and write out a short “checklist” of things which have been circulating in my mind when thinking about getting back to the working life and routine. (Maybe I’ll return to the thoughts on the break and everything it has given me a bit later…if I’m not too busy working :)).
This checklist is a collection of the best pieces of advice that I have got from my previous bosses or colleagues – or other people that I look up to or admire – and is hopefully helpful for anyone struggling with the balancing of work and life or the everyday hassle of trying to cope with the million little things a day might include – both at work and at home.
Pick your fights – you cannot save all the starving kids in the whole world at once, nor find a quick solution to stop the entire climate change. Choose carefully where you put your efforts and then do them well. And in suitable amounts.
You should never be too busy to think – you can do a lot in one day or even one hour, but it doesn’t really help if you are doing the wrong things. Running harder doesn’t help if you are running in the wrong direction. This is actually saying in another way: work smarter, not harder.
Do what you love and success is guaranteed – if you are constantly doing something you dislike, you are probably in the wrong place or at least doing the wrong stuff. Strive for a job, task, role or position which you like and which makes you feel happy; it will multiply the chances of your success if you are doing something you love. You probably know it in your body in the mornings when you are going to work – how it feels. At best, at least for me, it’s the tickling feeling in the stomach when you can’t wait to get to the office and get your mind or hands on whatever you have going on. Respect that feeling and be honest to yourself.
Don’t fight a fact, deal with it – life (or a working day, as well) is too short to spend time on worrying or fighting on something that is not in your hands to change. Use that same energy on things that you can influence instead.
There is always a choice – very few situations are so limited that there is no choice. Even when it seems like there are only bad options, then choose the least bad one.
You can’t pick only the raisins from the cardamom bread – any job includes the nasty or not-so-nice parts, as well. Whereas someone hates routines, someone else likes them. In any case, be realistic and understand that there is no such thing as a perfect job. Do the nasty parts as quickly and as effectively as you can and you can get back to the sweeter parts.
Don’t hang out with energy suckers – seek the company of those who inspire, challenge and make you feel happy, and help you to develop. It’s like pumping gas in a race car to work with someone who brings you new energy.
Let the horse worry, it has a bigger head – worrying will not help in anything. Get over it (whatever it is) and get back to doing what you need to do.
Okay, I realize this post includes exceptionally many hard or even negative words (fight, tough, fact, sucker, wrong, worry, dislike…) so I really want to close this with something smoother and nicer. If – or rather when – the going gets too busy and sometimes even tough:
Take a deep breath, let the air flow out slowly… and count your blessings – acknowledging them will always make you feel better.
And finally, thank you Ville, Kari, Heli, Ismo, Pertti, Alexander and all the others for the above – you are all on my long list of blessings <3.