Decide to Have a Good Day

The last few weeks have been stressful.  I have been juggling five projects/initiatives at the same time on a 32 hours a week schedule. Unexpected project issues are coming up left and right; requirements are misunderstood; customer experience risks are newly uncovered, etc…

The end result is I have been taking my stress home after work.  Thinking about issues in the shower and waking up with solutions to yet another unexpected problem.  My daughter runs to greet me in the morning and sometimes I feel half there because I am already planning in my head how to tackle the day.  Some days I don’t even feel like going to work.  Does any of this sound familiar?

Well,this week, I decided no more – every day I wake up, I tell myself that I am going to have a good day today.  I walk into work expecting there to be issues, mis-communications, etc and remind myself to be patient with myself and others.  Also reminding myself that it’s just a job.  Getting emotionally over-invested doesn’t help productivity or my work life balance.

The issues are still there this week, but I feel different, lighter.   I realized that it’s in my power to manage my stress even if I cannot control work to be smooth sailing.  I can choose to not let it affect me during or after work and just do the best I can at what I can change.   I am sure you have heard of the saying “grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change;  courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.”

It’s an easy concept to understand but very hard to practice.  As I practice every day, it gets a little easier. When I am facing an issue now, the first thing I figure out now is what I can change and what I cannot change.

• For things I can change, I will put in my best effort to resolve the situation and I feel good about that.
• For things I cannot change, I communicate with key stakeholders around what is happening and what are the options/my recommendation.  I am learning then to let go and let the ones who can control that part make changes.   Now I also feel good about that.

At the end of the day.  I can have a good day even if not all issues are resolved.  I am no long tying my work happiness to only if I get perfect outcomes.   I hope you can choose to do the same.  Because whatever issues you may face in life, in your current job, or job search efforts, you can always decide to just have a good day!

Good luck out there!

– Lei