What would it look like to give yourself permission to work the way you really want?
The pandemic has already made so many of us question the conventional ways of working, what we need and want more of in our lives. For me, the past year has been about rethinking how I want to work.
I didn’t need to leave my job to redefine professionalism, but it did make it easier to suddenly be outside an office culture. I had this new freedom to decide what it meant for me. So, of course I immediately convened a one-person team meeting, sent a calendar invite complete with an agenda, and discussed my different viewpoints.
🌲 Just kidding. I went outside, sat under a beautiful tree with a tea and gave myself permission to dream. I asked myself what did I want my work to feel like in this new business?
I wanted it to be joyful and fun, to laugh, to be in nature more and at a desk less, to enjoy flexibility in where I work – like under a tree or on a mountain – and who I work with, to write more in my personal style, to get wild with my ideas and to bring all my creative (and silly) self to what I make. In short, I wanted it to feel more like me.
Whenever I feel the old learned ways of professionalism creep in, it is usually out of fear – will people take me seriously, will I turn off potential clients, will this work be as meaningful. Usually it involves a lot of “shoulds” and “have tos”. In those moments, I come back to my new definition of professionalism, allowing work to feel creative and fun. 🎨
What permission do you want to give yourself ❓