Leading my personal New Year Workplace Reformation.
The phrase I keep reading in relation to New Year’s Resolutions are ‘intentions’, for me that’s too passive. ‘Resolution’, we’re told, will make us feel a failure if we don’t follow through with our resolves. I’m old enough to have made many resolutions and so I get that. The word I’m applying this year is Reformation. Particularly in relation to the workplace.
It’s my first day back after a fantastic two week break. I had joined the millions of others in the hellish cold/flu before Christmas so the break did my lungs and my mind good in resetting for the New Year. Getting on the road, crossing the channel, walking, seeing, thinking, reading, spending time with my special person.
I opened up my emails at 8am this morning, — after first struggling to log in of course, thinking I’d forgotten my password, just about to call IT when the system decided to ‘let me in’ — scrolled through messages from various eager colleagues and the first tiny tremors of irritation started to pulse through my veins. So familiar a sensation and yet new to this year, 2023. I decided quickly (right now) to put a stop to it. I can’t live the rest of this year and my life with these unwanted tingles of bodily eyerolls in response to whatever it is that’s hitting my nerves on email or Teams.
People, it turns out, are ultimately nice. I truly believe that. Nobody, or very few, want to be arseholes — some can’t help it, it comes naturally to them, but most people are just plain nice. Due, however, to their own shortcomings, they don’t think like me and therefore will inevitably irritate and frustrate me. I have to live with that.
My Personal Workplace Restoration Period: 2023 — retirement.
Accept: Accept that people are ultimately nice and don’t want to be difficult. In fact, at work, most people just want things done. They may not want to do or think about them in the same way as me, but we all want the same thing. People are nice. (IT systems, however, are not).
Modify: I have been working since 1992. I have never been sacked. Why oh why then do I spend all my life worrying that I will lose my job and have to sell my house and possessions to stay financially afloat? I don’t know. I will reform my behaviour in relation to my own validation, credibility and ultimately employment to experience the good things at work. What I do at work is small-fry but can make a positive difference in its own way — I don’t have a point to prove. I enjoy what I do and when I stop enjoying it, I will change it or modify it. Things change and you can too.
Adopt: I espouse and value compassion. And yet I can be a right cow when I want to me. Normally when people aren’t thinking, doing what I am (see Accept above). I also berate myself relentlessly when I do something wrong (See Modify above). Here though, my first thought in the workplace will be compassion. Compassion first. Compassion second. Compassion always.
What will result from My Workplace Restoration Period: 2023-Retirement?
I know from being away from work and normal life, even for short periods of time (a long weekend etc.) that I am not always stressed or irritated or frustrated. I like just being and I like the simple things in life. Life will bring chaos and irritations and sadness when it needs to, I don’t want to add to it by creating these three things out of emails or gripes that will be forgotten until a new one arises. What will result from this WRP is a calmer, nicer me.
Happy New Year!
