Sometimes you need to lighten up. Business leadership can’t be serious all the time, or it will become exhausting.
Ask yourself the following questions:
- When did you last have fun at work and genuinely enjoy yourself?
- Can you laugh at the absurd or ridiculous, or do you take it all too seriously?
- Can you let your guard down?
- Do you enjoy the company of your colleagues or prefer to keep them at a distance?
- Are people naturally drawn to you, or do you feel isolated?
- When you show up in the morning, do you feel optimistic and happy or tired and downtrodden?
- Are you able to keep your work in a proper perspective?
- Can you handle most situations calmly, or do you become easily frustrated?
- Do you try to enjoy your work, or just consider it a job?
- Can you create a more relaxed atmosphere in a room, or do you always tend to increase the level of intensity?
I believe the answers to the questions listed above are essential and make a dramatic difference to the quality of your work life. I include myself in this observation when I contend that too many people take themselves and their work too seriously and need to lighten up. As the saying goes, “it’s easy to be heavy, but hard to be light.” Unless you consciously try to enjoy your job and the people you are working with, it won’t happen. The reality is that you can do excellent work and have fun doing it simultaneously. Most of our unhappiness at work is self-imposed.
The universe will typically respond in kind if you put out positive vibes. I know this may sound a bit too “new age” for some of you, but have you ever noticed how smiles and laughter are infectious? It’s uncanny how just one person can increase or suck all the energy out of a room with their mood and behavior. I’ve regularly seen employees with average technical skills or abilities with good people skills excel while their more talented colleagues struggle under the weight of their social inadequacies. Bottom line is that people work better with people they like and enjoy spending time with.
Most of us aren’t dealing with life-and-death issues regularly—thank goodness. I truly empathize with and pray for people who are in these situations. It must be an onerous burden to carry. However, I’ve also noticed that they often use humor and a keen sense of camaraderie to get through it all. When they get the chance, they find productive ways to blow off steam and have fun. The rest of us, who deal with less life-altering issues, may want to take a cue from them. You should take your work and responsibilities seriously, but not so seriously that it makes you perpetually unhappy, creates unnecessary stress for you and others, or hinders your ability to form healthy, productive relationships with your colleagues and co-workers. Always remember that if everything is serious, then nothing truly is. Lighten up a bit. It will make life easier for you and those around you.
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