Follow Your Passions

Today as you go through your normal routine, whatever it may be, start thinking about why you do something they way you are doing it. All too often, we spend a lot of time, effort, and resources approaching something a certain way because that’s how it has always been done, and not because it is the best way to do it. You drive down the freeway with everyone else stuck in bumper to bumper traffic trying to get to work or school or home, because that’s how everyone does it. You get to work, turn your computer on, and start your daily processes. You go to the same restaurant nearby for lunch because it’s easy and safe and familiar. Etc. Etc. Etc.

Many times we’re caught up in the minutia of our work, so close to it on a daily basis, that the big picture eludes us and we lose sight of the forest for the trees. In particular, what I think we’d all be better off from is paying closer attention to what we do in our “boxes” (our cubicles at work, our cars, our homes, our computers, etc.).

I live in an area where in order to get to work, the way most people take is a freeway that is always horrible in the direction I’d be heading. On a good morning, I can expect to take 45 minutes of my morning up driving to my office taking that route. A couple of months ago, I decided to take a different route. You have to go over and around a mountain range, some land belonging to a Native American tribe, through National Forest land, and it seems if you look at it on a map to not make any sense at all. But it is all paved, at least four lanes, is the same speed limit as the freeway, and since no one takes it I am on cruise control most of the way rather than facing the tension headache of bumper to bumper traffic. The view is spectacular the whole way, so instead of getting to work completely frazzled, I’m full of energy and appreciation for the day ahead. And did I mention it takes me about 30-35 minutes to get to work that way instead of 45-60? Going a couple of miles out of my way each day has impacted my quality of life in an incredible way, and all it took was the initiative to try out an idea I had and see how it panned out.

I am completely confident there is the potential for each one of us to come up with at least one new approach to daily life that could make a big difference to our lives and the lives of those around us. Can’t figure out what to get someone on Valentine’s Day? Get together as a couple and come up with Valentine’s resolutions! They’re like New Year’s resolutions, except you do them as a couple, they are about how to be romantic for each other all year long instead of one day a year, and you stick to them. It might sound silly, but maybe you’d discover things about what each other wants or needs, or make it a point to go on a date each week even though you’re married and rekindle your relationship every weekend!

At work, your idea to make things more efficient could mean savings to the company. Your manager could take note. You might need to enlist others’ help, and by way of doing so you might learn a lot more about how your company works and who the people are in it. Maybe if you come up with a few practical ways to get things in your area more effective and efficient, your manager would be inclined to let you run with a project you’ve been wanting to create from scratch. Perhaps you can convince the right person to send you for training in regards to your profession and cover the expenses for you. Of course, in my humble opinion, the one guarantee is the satisfaction you’ll have in coming up with an idea and seeing it through as best you can.

Don’t be afraid to throw an idea out there because you think someone else might have already thought of it, or suggested it and been turned down. Even if someone did suggest something similar the year before, that was last year and someone else – today there might be budget for the idea that wasn’t there before. Or it might just take coming at it from a slightly different angle, yours, to push the idea over the edge into implementation or at least further consideration. Offering fresh perspective can be surprisingly powerful, because no one else takes the time to think inside the box.

If you’re looking and you can’t find something in your daily routines that needs fine tuning or tweaking, here’s something to watch out for. If you find yourself thinking anything like “This process makes no sense” or “Why does so-and-so always seem to be late to deliver this to me each month”, those are big clues! Take note of them, use them, own them! A good manager will often tell an employee who complains about something to fix the problem if they think there is one. It stops the people who just want to complain in their tracks, but it seeks also to strike initiative within the heart of someone who really cares about things improving to take steps to ensure improvement. Think about if you were a manager – would you prefer people working for you who just did what they were told, or would you prefer having a team with people on it that are always engaged and trying to make the work environment a better place?