January thoughts from Dr. Nathanson
A new year!
What does YOUR perfect vocational day look like for you?
Have you ever thought about what your perfect work would be? How about a typical workday pattern for the rest of your life? What daily routine would excite you and bring joy and happiness to your work?
What’s perfect for me?
You must keep asking yourself this question because no one else will do it. Be careful as you design your perfect vocational day because you will start moving towards it. Make sure you know just what YOU want.
And, if you are over forty, a crisis will hit. And when it does, you will have a new sense of urgency about your life and what to do with it. Your work and what you DO daily is a great place to start.
The Ten P Model (Place)
What is your role in the world?
What is your vision that you have for yourself?
What are your abilities and your deep interests, and do they match?
When you were a small child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
As an adult, what new chapter do you want to create for yourself?
Start to ponder deeply the role that you want to play and why.
Approach this exercise diligently, and your life will never be the same.
The most important thing a humanistic leader can do
The most important thing a humanistic leader can do is show that they value other people and their work.
The best rewards
The best rewards are the ones that we give ourselves!
When these rewards come from internal motivations, we appreciate them more and know there are no strings attached or higher bars to climb.
Net worth is easy to calculate. It is the amount of well-being and kindness that I give to others.
How do you like to be treated?
Do you treat others how you are treated?
The humanistic leader is consistent with their behavior.
The next time you respond to others, make a judgment, or talk about someone else negatively, think, how would you feel if the other person was talking about you in this way?
This way of thinking takes practice, but consistently placing yourself in the shoes of the other, you will be responded to positively by others and feel better about yourself.
The humanistic leader is a great time manager!
The humanistic leader has a regular process for managing time.
I set aside 20 minutes daily to plan the next day’s activities.
I only schedule tasks within my available capacity.
Scheduling tasks within your available capacity lowers stress and enables improved productivity.
I prioritize tasks as MUST be done today, SHOULD be done today, and COULD be done today.
Most importantly, use a process that works best for you!
Where is your energy right NOW, and where do you want to contribute to the world?
Five ideas for Joyful Work.
Don’t JUST take a job because you are good at it; you MUST enjoy it.
It is better to be interested in something, as you will be motivated to learn, vs. to be good at something but no longer interested.
Stop seeking a job and instead pursue your vocation (your calling)
There is a reason that vacation (holiday) and vocation ( game or pursuit) are similar to each other.
An authentic (original) life is the most difficult path to pursue but the most rewarding.
I’ll be cheering for you each step of the way!