Is it possible to simultaneously achieve purpose, passion and profits ? To live an integrated life where meaning, well-being and material comfort go hand in hand ? Is it reserved for the “happy few”, those who seem to have figured out a magic secret that is unavailable for the rest of us ?
Trouble focusing at work ? Find yourself losing concentration as the day progresses ? Well, you’re not alone.
According to a recent survey, nearly 50% of all workers suffer from moderate to severe stress. And 2 out of 3 employees report having difficulty focusing on tasks at work because of stress. So this week, I wanted to share five habits I developed throughout the years that I found to be incredibly powerful and help me reduce stress at work.
Lately, I’ve been making major strides in my motivation, performance and (personal) sense of satisfaction. How ? Simple. I started putting in place a core set of personal performance measurement techniques that tell me when to keep pushing onwards – and when to cut my losses.
Up until a few months ago, I found myself consistently torn between two camps. On the one hand, there is the “it ain’t over ’till the fat lady sings” camp. They believe that the game isn’t over until you call it, and there is always another step worth taking. They believe that – for the most part – we are all just one step away from success. That most people give up one step shy of their big breakthrough. And they believe that good things will come to those who – not wait but – persist.
What does your average work day look like ? Wait. Don’t tell me.
Does it look something like this ?
You get into the office, fire up your computer and start hacking away at that pile of e-mail that is sitting in your inbox. You don’t even wait to get into the office, but have your smartphone on your nightstand and “just quickly check e-mail” first thing in the morning. You quickly stop by your desk to drop off your things and rush straight into your first meeting
I used to be like you. I used to be that guy. Constantly rushed. Never any time. Always on, always connected.
At some point, I remember being on my fifth cup of coffee by 10.00 AM as a regular habit. Checking my Blackberry in every meeting I went. Firing off e-mails literally while I was going down the elevator, ready to hit “send” the second I got out. And having conference calls in the back of taxi cabs like it was the most natural thing in the world.
At some point, things got so bad I started feeling guilty if I didn’t.
And I hated it.