Bored at work? Your values are the fuel of passion. The closer the link between what you love and what you do, the more passion you’ll have. Likewise, you’ll find you don’t feel truly happy if you’re not clear on your values. It’s about knowing what you want, and what you spend your time on. The exercise is simple and takes 10 minutes.
List A: Find energy in your work if you have none:
1) Find what you love about working. Make a list of around 100 points in 5 minutes. They can be big things and small things. Anything from laughing with colleagues to leaving on time without being behind on your tasks. Put on some music you really love and wait until you’re in the right mood. When you’re ready, write as fast as you can, straight from the heart.
2) Prioritise your list. Circle the 10 points you love most about your work.
Now you have 10 ‘towards’ values. Values that give you energy, and that you should focus on in an appraisal or job interview.
List B: Find what you spend your time on:
1) In 5 minutes, make a list of around 50 points about what you spend your time on at work. Write down both big things and small things – the good and the bad. It could be anything from holding meetings to worrying about whether you’re good enough. Get yourself into the right frame of mind and write as fast as you can.
2) Prioritise your list by circling the 10 points you spend the most time on.
How to find what drains your energy at work:
Compare the 10 points from each list. The points that don’t match are draining your energy. Give each point that doesn’t match one month to make it match. Work on them one at a time, and choose the most important point first. Spend the first week working out what to do, and the next three doing it.
/Martin
– Thank goodness it’s almost Monday
