Do You Have a Serious Problem?

Last week I had 100 hours worth of work deleted, became increasingly frustrated with the bureaucracy of large organizations that I need to work with, and got my book proposal back from my editor with so many notes that I was nearly in tears.

Actually, this all happened in one day.  I had been feeling pretty light and warm, and ready to have this baby girl in just a month, and then all of a sudden I felt super stressed, like I couldn’t breathe.

I started to freak out about the baby room not being ready, not having our basement clean, and all the other little things that were on my very-well-managed-totally-in-control list.

It all just escalated.  Dramatically.  Has this ever happened to you?

I found myself going straight into my old habit of getting very serious.  I’m no stranger to hard work.  In fact I’m a great worker.  I can do this.  Time to tackle.  Nose to the grindstone, right?

Right. Except for one thing.  The seriousness was sucking out all the fun.

My friend Andy Dooley talks about how people these days have a serious problem.  Meaning, literally, that they are too serious and not enjoying the moment!  He’s totally right.  I was definitely not enjoying, cause damn it, I was working!  Isn’t hard work the opposite of fun?

I don’t think it is.

When we bring intentional joy into our work it doesn’t make our work less effective, it amplifies its impact.   – Tweet it

Writing my book proposal, decorating the baby room, and opening a new spa are things that I am truly excited about.  I chose them.  I want these things in my life.  But, when the doing was needing to be done I felt like I had to be somber and intense about getting them done, or maybe it wouldn’t count, wouldn’t get done fast enough, or well enough.

That kind of thinking is prevalent in our culture and simply isn’t true.  The stress or resistance we bring to our work doesn’t equate to better or more brilliant outcomes.  In fact, when we bring lightness and joy to solving problems, doing “hard” work, or getting a massive to-do list done, we’re able to think better, be more creative, and experience flow.

Don’t allow life fullness to degrade the quality of your moments.

Over the weekend I realigned my thinking.  So excited to get to work on my book proposal, so much fun to decorate a baby room, and you know all that work that got deleted?  Well, half of it was recovered and the other half will get done this week   . . . with joy.

How much love and lightness can you bring to your hard work?  See how blissful you can make it

Love,

Briana