They Feel Unprepared

Last December and early January of this year, I asked many who were in my classes and calls how prepared and energized they felt going into the new year and busy season. I was surprised and taken aback that most people rated themselves at a 3 or 4 on a scale of 6. Yes, there were some outliers at 2 and 5, but not many. What’s that all about? So I asked them why their ratings were so low.

Are You Prepared?

It seems that these professionals were mentally and emotionally drained from all the social, political and economic mayhem around them. They were also struggling with the life and work adjustments required by the pandemic.  Add to that their inability to recharge and renew during the holidays like they usually do and you get a rating of 3 or 4. All in all, we have too many professionals entering the new year limping when they should be leaping. And that’s a problem.

As knowledge workers, we use our minds to apply our knowledge and experience to client situations. That’s what we do. That’s what our clients expect, what we get paid for and what we love. Being mentally and emotionally alert isn’t optional and being deficit greatly diminishes our motivation and results.

Be Prepared

For the last few Messages, I’ve written how you can recover and retain your energy and passion in the midst of all the upheaval and craziness. The most important Message is that no one can do it for you because no one can change the circumstances. So you have to care for yourself.

For instance, you have to learn how to clear your mind. How irritating is it to leave your work for some other aspect of life and you can’t let it go? It stays with you and interferes with your ability to fully engage another activity. You can’t let it go and it won’t leave you alone. The Message, Turn Off Your Mind, gives you a powerful solution.

Or what about feeling overwhelmed and overloaded to the point that you don’t want to do your work?  As you read last week, you can quickly change “have to” into “want to,” thereby activating your motivation. Smart professionals begin their day with a mantra, something like, “This is going to be a good day. I’ve got important work to do for my clients and colleagues. I’m ready to give it my all so I can feel good about how I used my time and energy today. I can do this. I want to do this.”

Prepare Yourself

If you feel like you aren’t fully prepared for this year and this season, it’s yours to do something about. By cooperating with your natural biological and psychological tendencies, you will activate your passion. So don’t limp—LEAP into this year and this season!