You wake up with a headache, you burn your toast, and your car is covered in snow. On days like these, how do you keep your spirits up? How do you maintain the passion for your craft throughout the work day?
During our last blog meeting, we used “memory” as a way to summon passion from our childhood. Joe Pietsch, featured in our Holdcom Story, recounted a memory from when he was sixteen. He had the opportunity to travel to London and meet relatives whom even his parents hadn’t met. His relatives took him to Stonehenge, Westminster Abbey, and art museums – all over.
What stuck with Joe was the intricacy of each structure – “seeing gravestones from 1200 gave me a sense of human connectedness…an appreciation of time.” The passion of artists was not so much defined as their grandiose vision, but of the patience they had to spend years, lifetimes, and even generations on the realization of a complete product.
Although our daily “work” may be long and time consuming, this doesn’t mean it is less gratifying or fulfilling. The “old school” tells us to never mix work and pleasure – but this may lead to a backlash, where we try to finish the work as fast as possible in order to enjoy our day. Why not take joy in the process of creating?
As Joe’s story wound down, he advised “to just take five minutes and do something you like to do.” By squeezing in “brain breaks” of reading a short story, blog, or working on a lanyard project, you will find that the day will go by much faster – and you will get a lot more accomplished. Your creative side will benefit from the patience of professionalism, while you may approach day-to-day problems with a refreshed mind
Give it a try – every two hours, take a brief mental break. Listen closely to one of your favorite songs; if you usually focus on lyrics, pay attention to the music. Stretch your legs and talk to a co-worker about something they are passionate about.