Sometimes it is difficult to praise others on their work wins when you have not scored a win of your own in a long time. It may be distressing to see familiar faces making celebratory announcements on LinkedIn, making it difficult for you to feel happy. If you have experienced this feeling, there is another way to see it through. In an article recently published in Harvard Business Review (Sugar, 2023), the author provides a roadmap that you can take when you need a win. It all starts with mindset and perspective.
AUTHOR-RECOMMENDED STEPS TO SUCCESS
- Understand that this is temporary: Realize that a bump in the road is only short-term. It is possible to be on top again even when it seems impossible. If feeling hopeless, it could help to reach out a friend or family member who can remind you to keep moving forward.
- Realize that tiny wins matter: All wins matter; even the tiny ones. It may help to create a list of what took place on a recent assignment and acknowledge the positive moments to help cheer you up.
- Create boundaries within your space: Dive deep and think about which of your coworkers helps inspire goodness within you. Conversely, place boundaries and steer clear of people who could influence you to feel unhappy. These boundaries do not mean you have to remain in solitude; it just means that you are choosing to protect your space.
- Acknowledge your strengths: Rather than making a gratitude list, write down what took place during your day while going over the actions you took. This could uplift your self-esteem and push you forward. Taking time to reflect by writing down three things per day could lead to positive benefits in the long run.
- Do nothing: It is easy to notice what may be going wrong throughout the day. Doing nothing could allow you to see what is going right. Doing nothing is subjective, it could mean going for a walk or staring at the ceiling thinking about the last meeting that you thought went well.
- Look to others to feel inspired: Looking beyond yourself and noticing other people’s successes can inspire you to gain a winning mindset of your own. It is not worth comparing yourself to others, it is more beneficial to use the other person as an influencer. The author suggests that a person can say, “If that person can do that thing well, then I can, too.” It’s all about a shift in perspective.
- Make the best out of a situation: Feeling down could motivate you to do absolutely nothing and work as little as possible. Instead of choosing to do nothing, you could make the best out of a situation. There are risks within the workplace; instead of controlling them, you might consider changing your perspective. You can keep moving after hitting that bump in the road.
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS FOR EMPLOYEES
It can be easy to scroll through LinkedIn and feel unimportant because you do not have a big announcement to make. However, the author is convinced that you have the ability to shift your mindset and decide when you win. It is crucial to advocate for yourself and appreciate the little things throughout your day. By taking the positive steps suggested in this article, you’ll be able to accept that it all starts with you.
Image credit: istockphoto/fizkes