How to Give your Work and Life the Attention they Deserve
How cultivating an attentive approach to life leads to humane, respectful, and kind behavior that makes you a better version of yourself and a better leader, friend, and partner.
You are reading the sub-section SlowPOWER of the publication Un-Rush-The Power of Slow where I give you insights on the absurdity of rushing and impulses on how slowing down benefits your life and work.
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How to Give your Work and Life the Attention they Deserve
Cultivating an attentive approach to life leads to humane, respectful, and kind behavior that makes you a better version of yourself and a better leader, friend, and partner.
"The past twenty years, where did they go?! I don't remember much of it. I went to work, back home, and back to work. That's it!" says a close friend of mine. "Did you witness your kids growing up?" I ask. "Maybe, not really. Sometimes at the dinner table, the kids share stories…' Remember how we did this and that?', and I can't recall those moments. It made me realize, I missed out on shared experiences with them while they grew up."
There are many stories like this one. They always leave me puzzled and upset. Why do we tend to pay a lot of attention to work as opposed to our private lives and needs? At the same time, we complain about not having enough time for the life we want to live. I wanted to take a different path and my question was:
Can we make life less about work and make instead work part of our lifestyle?
I love to work. But I also believe our work life, occupying a third of our day, should be a joyful part of our life, giving us a sense of fulfillment at the end of the day.
What is my version of a happy work and life combination? When I can have control over my time and space when my work has a purpose and an impact, and when I give enough time to my family, friends, and myself.
What is your vision of combining your personal life and work life, so you are happy at the end of the day?
What if we start looking at the lifestyle we want and then create our work life accordingly instead of the other way around?
Do you pay attention to how you feel about your work and lifestyle?
How much attention do you pay to your work and career and how much to the other aspects of life? Work seems very often to overshadow everything else.
Self-awareness is key. Understanding your purpose, principles, and values are the first steps that serve to guide you when deciding who or what you want to spend your time on amid the overwhelming demands and distractions of daily life.
The interconnectedness of different life areas
Several major areas of life need our attention when it comes to living in a fulfilling and satisfying way. Health and Body, Work and Career (finances, education, achievements), Family and Social Life (friends, maintaining relationships, meeting new people), Personal Development (intellectual, spiritual, creative inspirations), Life Vision, and Quality of Life.
This is about evaluating and balancing each part of your life and becoming aware of the fact that all areas are interconnected and contribute to your overall well-being, personally and professionally. If I get enough sleep, exercise, and time in nature, I am energized, motivated, and productive at work. If I am fulfilled at work, I carry my good mood and satisfaction into my private life and am a better spouse, friend, and citizen.
What values do you appreciate and are important to you?
I watched friends and people around me being unhappy despite being immersed in successful careers. It made me question people's perception of themselves and their working life. I was impressed with their tough business appearance but at the same time stunned at how they could be so insecure in their private life.
Do we have to change our authentic selves between working and living?
Keep an eye on yourself, perceive what is going on inside you, and don't be indifferent to yourself. Start being interested in yourself, take care of the "self" inside of you, and nourish it. What sparks you and what motivates you? Where do you refuse to accept any compromises anymore? What do you not want to miss?
Can you tell if you are your authentic self in your daily life and work?
Imagine you have a treasure inside of you that can help you create your best life and work combination!
This treasure is called paying attention.
Why attention and what is it?
I believe the quality of your attention determines the quality of your life.
How we experience the world depends a lot on how we deal with our attention. Today's scarcest resource and the secret to high performance and fulfillment is attention. It is an important asset that we too easily waste instead of treasuring.
Paying attention encompasses three essential skills, which makes it so valuable.
1. The art of being able to focus your attention
2. The willingness to pay sufficient attention to yourself, your loved ones, and the people you work with
3. The ability to be aware of your surroundings.
When you can focus your attention on what is the most important you will be able to finish your task or reach your goal much faster. The increase in productivity and learning when we stop trying to do it all at once is astonishing. You waste less time and gain more time for other areas of your life.
Paying sufficient attention to yourself means you care for your mental and physical well-being, reflect on your visions, and listen to your thoughts. It prevents you from burnout, negative stress, and dissatisfaction. Instead, you gain energy, motivation, and inspiration.
When you give attention to your loved ones and the people you work with you are mindful, thoughtful, considerate, and kind. Appreciating and caring for people takes time. The result is better services and products for your customers, long-lasting relationships with loved ones, and motivated, productive, and loyal employees and colleagues.
Applying attention to daily life and work means adopting an attitude of selection, awareness, and kindness.
When you choose to pay attention you are actually "paying" with something valuable.
Stay tuned for the second part of this article on the value of paying attention.
