An easy way to think about your career is to imagine that there are two forces competing for your attention. They are playing tug-of-war, and you are the prize in the middle.
One of the forces is the traditional religion of money and power that we lovingly call Godzilla.
Godzilla is a seductive force. Once you get promoted once or twice and you start to make a little money it can be very tough to break away. Human beings are masters of rationalization.
We come up with all kinds of good reason why we have to do exactly what we're doing and why it's actually wise and prudent for us to continue in our rut, even if we hate getting up and going to work every day.
The other force competing for your attention is the urge to bring something forth -- something completely yours that springs from who you are. Most working people struggle to find an equilibrium between the two forces competing for their time and energy.
We try to infuse our jobs with our personal spark and flavor. We might push against the physical and metaphorical cubicle walls that hem us in at work. We look for ways to make our work more fun and less boring, even though we're bombarded with messages that tell us to forget about our flame and our creative side.
Here are some of those messages, in case you haven't received one from another source in the past few moments:
- Your job is your first priority.
- Don't you want to be successful? Just hit the numbers!
- Don't you want to be well-regarded at work? Your reputation is everything.
- You can be creative on your own time. Just do what you're told to do.
- If you want to follow your passion, get a backpack and sell your house. Your passion should be this job!
People who break with the traditional view that your job rules your life can feel very isolated. They can feel like traitors to the corporate cause, and that is one reason we started the Human Workplace movement in 2012.
We figured that if people around the world are feeling isolated in their belief that there is something more important for their brains and hearts to attend to than the work on their desks, we should let them know they're not alone.
I've been writing about the intersection of work and life since 1997, when I left U.S. Robotics. Now there are one million Human Workplace members, so evidently it is time for this conversation to take place.
Can a creative person survive corporate life? He or she can, but it requires a new outlook. If you want to thrive in a corporate or institutional job although the format and shape of the job don't suit your creative temperament, you have to take a few steps.
We recommend these steps to everyone, whether you consider yourself creative or not!
After all, everyone is creative. When we tap into our own power source, our creativity flows out. All we need to do is to find that vein. You can do it by blogging or speaking about what you care about, even if your blog posts are private for now. You can do it by meditating.
You can do it by talking with other people about what you believe. Let your ideas out! They are just at the surface, ready to blossom!
The tension and the tug-of-war for your mind, soul and body will not go away until you take charge and settle the matter. To do that, you'll decide what you want from your life and career and you'll determine how your current job plays a role in getting you there.
Then you'll know why you go to work, for whatever period of time you stay in that job. You won't chafe under the stupid rules and bureaucratic nonsense because it won't have anything to do with you. It won't touch you -- you'll be on your path!
Here are the five steps to finding equilibrium between your constraining corporate or institutional job and your creativity:
- Decide what you want.
- Make a plan to get what you decided you want.
- Look at the ways your current situation can help you get what you want.
- Practice self-awareness.
- Speak your truth.
The first step is the hardest! Most people don't know what they want from their lives or their careers. They get into a rut and stay there. Every day people tell us "Well, I'm a banker -- I fell into it."
We ask "Do you still love it?" and they say "It's a job."
Would you say "I met my husband at the grocery store and we just got married - what the heck! He's a guy. I don't really think about whether I like him or not."
As far as we know, we only get one chance at bat. You get to make all the choices. You get to decide what you want, even if the thing or situation you want doesn't feel practical or easily attainable right now. So what? You don't have to tell anyone about your vision for yourself.
You can work on it in secret, like Tim Robbins in The Shawshank Redemption.
Maybe you want to start your own business in the future or start a not-for-profit. Maybe you want to step into a completely different situation and lifestyle or move halfway across the globe. Get the vision clear in your head, first! Then commit to it -- just commit to yourself.
Once you know what you want, you can use the time available to you in the future to start moving toward it. Your time and attention are the most valuable investments any of us has access to. Make the plan. Line it out, step by step. It will change. That's okay! Having a plan to get where you want to go is taking control of your life.
Waiting for fate to drop good things on you is giving up control. Complaining about your sorry state is the worst choice of all. When you complain without changing anything you signal "I don't even have a vote."
Once you know where you're headed, you can see how far your current job will take you on your path. Maybe it will take you all the way! Maybe your dream is to become CEO of your company and use your voice and influence to bring about a vision for your organization and its contribution to the planet.
You might stay in your job for years. The key is that you have to know what you're working toward! Staying in a job because you have the job already is an abdication of your power.
Once you have a clear vision for your future, have a plan to get there and know how your current role is moving you forward, celebrate!
I recommend a nice gelato. Your next assignment is to begin to practice self-awareness.
Self-awareness is a muscle you will grow over time. It is a pratice of noticing how you feel and how your thoughts, actions and words influence the environment around you. Self-awareness is a journey that anyone can begin whenever they want to. You can start by noticing your breathing.
Focus on your in and out breaths. Notice how you feel, especially at work when things are stressful. The more self-aware you become, the less you will be ruled by your thoughts and emotions. You'll be calmer. Your path is ahead. Your vision is clear and you're working toward it.
As the old saying goes, "Everything is easier when you know you're doing what God wants you to be doing."
You can substitute "Mother Nature" or "the universe" for "God" and the meaning is the same. When you're on your path, you'll be happier and have less worry. When you're off you're path, you're going to be a stress case and get sick.
Self-awareness means realizing that you chose your situation, even if you don't feel like you had a lot of choice in the matter.
If you feel hemmed in or trapped by a confining job, ask yourself "Why did I choose this constraint for myself? What am I here to learn?" There is powerful growth available to you when you ask those basic, not-often-asked questions.
The last step is to speak your truth when you normally hesitate. Your vocal cords are muscles. They can only grow when you use them.
When you don't speak up at work although you want to, you weaken yourself. Everything good that you brought to our planet and get to contribute here relies on knowing who you are and speaking and acting out of that knowledge.
You can start right now, or tomorrow morning. What do you want to say that needs to be said? You can talk about it. You can step into your power and bring yourself to work.
We are cheering you on!
