4 THINGS YOUR YOUNGER SELF COULD TEACH YOU ABOUT WORK
“See the world through the eyes of your inner child. The eyes that sparkle in awe and amazement as they see love, magic and mystery in the most ordinary things.”
― Henna Sohail
We spend so much time as children wanting to be older, wanting to be adults, that we often lose sight of a lot of the qualities associated with youth that would be of great benefit to us as adults. We tamp down those attributes and attitudes that might seem childish, in the name of the goal of sitting at the grown-ups’ table. However there is a great deal we can learn from our younger selves. Many childlike behaviours can actually benefit your working life. Here are the top four we think worth rediscovering in your approach to your work.
BE FEARLESS
As adults we stop, think, plan and, too often, hesitate before doing something. Frequently this is because we are afraid of failure, worried about asking a stupid question or fearful of looking dumb. Children run headfirst, fearlessly, into failure. They’re far more likely to raise their hand and ask the question that everyone else is thinking, and they have a much greater tolerance for looking silly.
Taking this fearless approach at work can mean you say yes to the projects, roles and opportunities that scare you. It means you raise a hand and ask the questions that will ensure you understand and are on the right path, even if you risk looking foolish.
DO EVERTHING AT 100%
How often do you tackle a task with just the amount of energy required to get it done? You expend exactly the amount of effort needed to complete the job satisfactorily, but no more. But skating through life giving 80% effort to your work is not the best way to get ahead in your career. Try doing what you did as a child, when you would play, laugh and learn with every skerrick of your energy, running until you fell down. Give everything to your work when you’re at work. Do everything at 100%, so that when you walk away you know that you’ve done your absolute best at any and all tasks, even the ones you don’t enjoy. Your consistent effort will be noticed and appreciated.
NEVER GIVE UP
Embracing the tenaciousness and stubbornness that children use when asking for something can be a great way to approach a goal. Perhaps nagging your boss about lollies isn’t the best move but certainly never taking no for an answer and never giving up just because the road to success gets difficult can bring great rewards. Be like your younger self chasing after an ice-cream. Be persistent, determined and focused on what you want when it comes to your career.
HAVE FUN
Do you have fun at work? Do you laugh, enjoy the company of your colleagues and find joy in what you do? Children can find ways to have fun anywhere and with very little. Whether it’s using a cardboard box as a cubbyhouse or sitting and drawing, they can find joy wherever they are.
Spend some time to find ways to have fun at work, and to identify the pleasurable aspects of both the little and the big things that you do. We don’t mean that you need to start building forts in the office or spend hours a day playing games with co-workers. Finding joy is about stimulating conversations, sharing a few laughs with those you work with, reminding yourself why you love what you do. You’ll be amazed just how much focusing on having a little more fun can positively impact your day-to-day working life.
Adulting, as many say, can be hard work. Maybe if we just bring a little more of our younger selves into our everyday lives, and particularly into our working lives and careers, it might make things just a little easier, as well as help us to achieve our goals. At the very least, you’re bound to find work a little more fun!