At the age of minimalism, it seems fitting to adapt the mentality of having less to our behaviour at work. I’m calling you here to consider how much you care at work, and if a bit less would do you some good. You see, I am every now and then realising how well I am performing and being appreciated when I care less. How ironic is this in a way! So let’s look further into this, to see if you could apply some of those insights into your own work life.
Firstly I’m not talking about not caring, just to be clear. I bet most of us are unable to do this anyway, because we are usually pretty conscientious people. Chances are we are more likely to swing the other way, with giving lots of our time, efforts and energy to the work cause or people there. It might feel like it is required for our career advancement, however in my experience unless you do the right things this does not happen. Those right things are about being visible, contributing to the strategic objectives and being generally good with people.
So if you focus on what’s essential, then you can care less about the rest. That quick presentation you need to do during the team meeting? The usual monthly report due this week? Reading your e-mails? It’s about going through your days with a relaxed attitude that you can do it. And that you will simply do your best. Can you imagine how it would feel if you showed up at work with that sort of energy more often?
The trap with caring is that we can end up cramming too much, overthinking or getting stressed unnecessarily. And we do this to ourselves. We let our fears ramp up in our heads and suddenly they are driving our frantic behaviours. And you guess it, when we operate that way, it’s not our best work that we are releasing out there. So we need to be vigilant not to take on others’ pressure, and to keep our own standards in check. Because working should not feel so hard, really.
Is this new to you? Have you been told that working is about pushing hard so you deserve your pay? I can tell you that since I have started seeing work as simply a part of being me, it has gotten much easier. So when I’m saying you should care less, I am actually saying being more yourself. In other words don’t let yourself be distracted by fears or external expectations. See the world more lightly when you are there. Lift that weight off your shoulders, so that you can let your own personality flow more easily.
And watch those results, if you want to see the proof. Were your best presentations or projects those where you used your own style? Devised your own agenda? Went with the flow? Or did you find that by preparing, checking, worrying, validating, you had better results? It has so much to do with how you approach the work. Naturally I am not advocating that you start doing work without knowing what you are doing, but just to pull back a bit on the amount of effort. To bring back a bit more of your natural strengths and talents.
Because at the end of the day, what shines more? An amazing, complex spreadsheet, or communicating with impact? Having an empty inbox or leaving work still full of energy? I know what I’d rather choose. So next time you feel like something is going to be an effort, pause and consider. Is it really worth caring so much about, or is there a more natural, easier way of doing it? Sit with this one and let me know in the comments when you practice it. Wishing you plenty of opportunities to care a bit less.
