Nugget of Zen: Getting Unstuck

This week has been…wow.  Eye-opening to say the least.  I appreciate you taking the time to read and let me share.  It’s been a great practice on being reflective on what’s going on in life—I hope you’re enjoying it as well!  Please feel free to share.  I love hearing stories. 

Things at work have really been hopping in the last month or so, which I personally enjoy.  I like the flow of being busy.  I love having projects fly around all over the place and the adrenaline rush that comes with meeting deadlines and completing tasks.   However, since things have picked up project-wise, I’ve been noticing a change amongst the people that I work with.

Over the past few weeks, the communication between me and my colleagues has been dwindling.  Easy conversations have gone dry.  There was a strange sense of whispers and muffled voices amongst the team that I couldn’t quite make out.  I was stumped.  What changed?  Is my team mad at me?  Did I say something that upset one or more people?  I couldn’t figure it out.

To be honest, this caused me quite a bit of internal distress.  Noticing the change made me feel hurt.  The hurt became anger.  Anger became resentment.  Suddenly, the thrill that I got from finishing a task was overshadowed by this growing miasma of heaviness between me and my team.  It made coming to work more and more of a struggle.

Amid the darkness, something clicked.  Going round and round wasn’t going to solve anything.  If anything, it was only going to make the situation that much worse.  Instead of continuing to dwell on the negative, I took a good look inside and asked, “When did this change come about? What control do I have right now?  What actions can I take to make this situation better?”  Asking questions like these forced me to reflect on the situation with an open mind and an open heart.

The realization hit me like a ton of bricks.  With all the projects I’ve been taking over and having fun with, I’ve been neglecting my team.  Previously, I wouldn’t have thought twice about having a chat with a teammate, even if it was to check in and see how the day was turning out.  With the increased workload though, that communication went on the backburner.  That shift in attention could be the reason why the team dynamic was tense.

So I took that little nugget of insight and really ran with it.  I made a plan.  There was something I could do to change this.  The very next day, I spent more time with my team.  I pulled up a chair and took the time to listen to their stories, hear what was going on in their world, and share what was going on in mine.  I admit that I felt a little rusty, but like riding a bike, I got my groove back in no time.

The reward was instant.  Within 24 hours, the whole dynamic of the team shifted.  The heaviness in the office lightened considerably.  Smiles were more apparent, as well as laughter.  I once again had a pulse and insight into not only how things were going within my team at work, but how they were doing in their own worlds.  I can’t even begin to tell you how amazing it felt to have this kind of triumph.  The impact of this success made coming to work so much lighter and easier.

It was such a tremendous epiphany that I couldn’t help but share.  We all feel stuck in an aspect in our lives from time to time.  That’s ok.  It’s normal.  One thing you can do to have a positive impact is to look within.  What efforts can you make to make the situation better?  Sure, there are things beyond your control, but find out what you can control and use that opportunity to make a shift.  You don’t need a monumental move to make a difference.  For me, spending 15-20 minutes commiserating and bonding not only helped me reconnect and re-engage, but gave me a bit of a breather from all of the projects I was working on.

Anyway, there’s my little nugget of Zen.  Be well, friends.  If you’re facing a moment of being stuck, I hope you can find a little opportunity within to make things a little smoother.

Smile and be well,

al