Since the start of this year, my work life has been pretty hectic. I often find myself feeling anxious & overwhelmed, when I see endless emails streaming in, demanding for my attention. I often feel the urgency to clear all outstanding matters as soon as possible. It almost feels unbearable to sit amidst the mountain of work tasks waiting to be cleared.
But as we all know, work never ends.
Even if we clear all outstanding matters, it is often only a brief respite before the next batch comes.
How can I improve the current work situation? I can either cut down on the volume of work streaming in, or have a better strategy to cope with my emotions handling the work, or both.
How can we cut down on the volume of work streaming in?
Masters suggested for me to take a step back, pause & observe the list of current work matters. Are we able to classify the work matters into different sub-categories? Such as (i) work matters rightfully under my purview, (ii) work matters that belong to no man’s territory or require inputs from various sources (of which I contribute a part), (iii) urgency of work matter & basis of urgency? This classification gives us clarity of mind to know what, when & how to contribute effectively.
While I have no qualms dealing with (i), I often struggle with (ii) and (iii). As a legal counsel, I often step in to advise when issues arise (whether legal or not), and a solution is needed. The struggle comes when the issues are not exactly a legal issue, or within my areas of expertise, or where no amicable solution (as far as I can think of), can be found. Similarly, when almost everyone assesses their work request to be urgent, can I even please them all without over-extending or over-exhausting myself?
How can I have a better strategy to cope with my emotions handling the work?
This leads me to ponder on the root of all problems. Why do I simply take on people’s expectations imposed upon me to solve their problems for them fully & completely? Where did this come from?
When I checked in with the Masters, they identified the inferiority complex within me, which caused me to allow myself to be taken advantage of, or take it upon myself the duty to solve other people’s problems for them. However, is this sustainable for me in the long term? Am I depriving others of the opportunity to learn & grow from their work challenges & obstacles, instead of looking upon me for an easy way out to solve their problems for them? How am I encouraging their self-growth & self-exploration? How am I even loving myself truly, if I don’t prioritise my own well-being at work?
To solve the root of the inferiority complex, I need to heal my inner children of all past & present lifetimes that suffered some form of trauma, which resulted in them not seeing the positive light or divinity within them. Inner child healing is often a deeply ingrained issue that spans across lifetimes. Therefore, we need time & patience to slowly unravel and heal in layers & stages. We simply cannot, and should not, rush through this process.
In the meantime, what can I do to help myself at work?
Masters encouraged me to take a step back, pause & activate the neutral observer within me at work. Perhaps even pasting a post-it at my work desk to remind myself to do so daily. The purpose is to remind me to be mindful of my thoughts, speech & actions, and most importantly, my underlying intentions. Why do I choose to take a certain course of action for each work matter? Is this the best solution for everyone involved, while acknowledging everyone’s roles & responsibilities in the matter? Do I take a step up, or a step back? Do I need to take action or non-action?
As a task-oriented person, it is not instinctive for me to think of “non-action” as an option to consider. My mind is often oriented towards possible actions: What should we do? How should we do? Therefore, it requires much more mindfulness, neutrality, effort & even confidence within me to even consider: Should I not do? Why should I not do?
Let me experiment with these newfound ideas for the upcoming weeks. Let’s see what I can uncover by incorporating these advice at work. 🙂
I hope you find the above sharing useful. I wrote this article with no idea where I was going. But the more I write, the more the Masters guided me. As always, it is helpful to have their kind advice & wisdom, like a comforting lighthouse as I navigate myself through the dark, deep waters of work.
Thank you for reading, and blessed month ahead! <3
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