Ways to Excel in Your Professional Life

…that Have Nothing to do With Working!

We work a lot. 

Modern stats show us that from the day you began working to the day you retire, you’ll have spent about 90,000 hours of your time at work - that’s approximately one-third of your entire life! 

Because we spend so much time working, thinking about work, preparing for work, and winding down from work, we can lose sight of the parts of ourselves outside of our professional life. The pieces of our lives that have nothing to do with earning an income or advancing our careers. 

By refocusing your attention on these non-professional aspects of your life, it can actually help you to be happier at work and even excel more in your profession and workplace. 

Since summer is upon us at the time I’m writing this blog, I thought it was the perfect time to talk about improving your life through simple, unexpected actions that can open you up to possibility and most importantly… playing outside of work! 

What Did You Enjoy as a Child? 

Often when I talk to adults about what they enjoy outside of work, they have a hard time coming up with things they do for sheer fun’s sake. They can of course rattle off things like being a parent, doing yard work, housework, volunteering for the PTA, etc… but they have a hard time sharing things that are simply for the sake of fun. 

Time to loosen up a bit and explore what “fun” and play means for you! 

A great place to start if you’re stumped on what you find fun is to think back to your childhood. Imagine yourself playing as a kid. What did you enjoy doing? What made you curious and excited? 

Think back to those childhood experiences and then, dig just a little deeper to discover what it was about that specific activity that brought you joy. 

• Did you love the exhilaration of speed when bike riding? Or was it the sense of freedom that came after pedaling hard, allowing you to coast down a hill? 

• Was the adrenaline of roller coasters and adventure of taking risks more your thing? 

• Perhaps you delighted in playing with your dolls, escaping to a world outside of reality by yourself? Dressing them up and imagining the stories behind their personalities and daily lives? 

• If you were drawn to painting or creative work as a kid, what was it about the experience that lit you up and kept you engaged? 

• And if you were the type to collect matchbox cars, GI Joes, or baseball cards, what was it about the collecting that brought you joy? 

You can look at these past experiences of how you liked to play and interact as a kid and use them as your springboard to discovering play as an adult too! 

What if you picked up something in the area that you’re curious about and just started exploring? I guarantee you that if you do it will build your confidence not just personally, but also in the workplace too. The beauty of doing things just because you enjoy them is that you build tools and skills while having fun, and with a much lower bar as there’s no concern with “messing up” or “making a mistake”. 

And realistically, how often can we say that about things we do in our lives? 

Find a Hobby! 

Hobbies are a wonderful way to try something new in a low-stakes, low-stress way that’s entirely for the pursuit and purpose of fun and pleasure. 

Hobbies can help you unwind and destress, create new connections and friendships, and learn. You never know where a hobby will take you or what new thing you’ll discover. You’ll quickly learn that simply by having fun, you experience unexpected possibilities! 

What Will You Try First? 

If you’re feeling nervous or shy, grab a friend and schedule a date to do something together! Sign up for an entirely new experience and commit to showing up at least once. Schedule a vacation and explore somewhere you’ve never been. Try things you loved when you were a kid and haven’t done forever: swimming, ice skating, fishing, camping, etc. Join a book club or a cooking group or a trivia team and make a new group of friends with similar interests. 

The possibilities of what to explore are endless! And there’s no telling how this new opportunity can help you excel personally and professionally too. 

Open up to unexpected surprises. 

I want to hear what you try! 

I’m challenging you (and myself too) to try one new thing this summer. What did I share that lights you up? Maybe you can think of something entirely different you’d like to try? Write me an email and let me know so I can check back in with you and see how it’s going.