New year, new direction
The summer holiday season is one of the few times of year when we permit ourselves pause for thought. As UNE Organisational Development Consultant Trish Donald advises, reflecting on our thoughts and feelings can help us to reassess what’s truly important.
“This is a time to consider priorities for the year ahead; to reassess what values are important to you and how they align with your current life and workplace,” Trish says. “Does your work have meaning? Are you managing to balance the family and work priorities you so clearly articulated during COVID lockdowns? It’s time to look at ways of enacting change.”
And while some of us may be considering a new role or even a new workplace, it need not be that drastic.
“It is possible to shape the job you want from the one you already have,” Trish says. “This starts with unpicking what it is you do – from the environment to the daily tasks – and considering the various elements of your job.
“Then think about what you want in your working and personal life – what are your key goals and what will they bring you? What does success look like? Identifying these gives you the clarity to make a plan and take action. For some people, that will be getting a promotion and earning more money; others will want to make a difference in the lives of others; while others still will want to find ways to leave work behind and spend more time with family.”
Asking these tough questions helps us to establish what our core values are and how we can align these values in our work, shape and strengthen them, and feel more fulfilled. “For instance, a desire for a promotion or pay rise can mask a desire to be recognised by your employer or to feel as though you are worthwhile as a human being,” Trish says. “What sits behind your goals? What legacy do you want to leave? What difference do you want to make?
“We can blame the organisation that employs us for our unhappiness or our problems, but it is our responsibility to reflect on what it would take to make us happier.
“People tend to push down these kinds of deep questions. Parents, especially, can be so good at helping their children create the life they want that they forget they can do that for themselves. If you want to know what your future will be like, look at it now. What are you doing now to create that future?”
That’s when planning comes in. “Without a plan or a commitment there is nothing to hold us to account, to see that we achieve our goals,” Trish says. “A vision board can be a great way to articulate that plan.”
