What is one thing a bunch of workplace psychologists all have in common?
We don’t do New Year’s Resolutions.
There’s a few reasons for that.
Some of us find they just don’t stick.
It’s not because we lack willpower. We’ve all read James Clear’s Atomic Habits.
We’re workplace psychologists. We know the theory behind making changes stick.
We believe that a year is too long to commit to one major change (or even a few, if you’re really ambitious)
We’re a virtual business in a dynamic industry working with people. Figuring out what the next challenge will be is like herding cats with one hand and juggling a bunch of octopi with the other!
Why New Year’s Resolutions don’t work - even for Workplace Psychologists
In a dynamic world, our goals may become irrelevant in two months.
That can put a lot of pressure on picking the perfect goal which creates unnecessary stress.
Goals should be exciting and motivating, not stressful.
By nature, we’re rebels.
Our brains resist change. We like to feel the safety net of familiarity. So setting big, all-encompassing goals can make our brains want to run straight back to what we’re used to.
We end up planning to change one minute and sabotaging our own plans the next.
That doesn’t mean that we can’t change - just that we might need to re-frame how we get there.
Specific goals can backfire.
We might achieve a whole bunch of things but if we don’t achieve the one thing we set our sights on, we feel like we failed and that can set us back.
At Glia, this bunch of workplace Psychologists prefer to set more dynamic goals that can flex when life changes.
And yet, as we all got together online for one of our first team Pow Wows after the holidays, chewing the fat over coffee, breakfast (and cake for some of us), we agreed that there is something about the New Year that inspires reflection about the 12 months just gone and the 12 months ahead.
It might be just an arbitrary line in the sand, but there’s a sense of closure as December slides to a conclusion. There’s a sense of new beginnings and fresh possibilities as the sun dawns on a brand new year.
We don’t do New Year’s Resolutions.
So what do we do?
We reflect.
We set intentions.
We think about what we did right last year, and what we could do better.
What are the positive things that happened in our lives and our work last year?
What positive things do we want to invite into our lives in the year ahead?
What didn’t go so well for us last year? How do we see ourselves approaching those challenges in 2024 so things work out differently?
What challenges are we expecting on the horizon? Do we have a plan to face those challenges? How will we face the unexpected?
We figure out where we are right now.
We figure out where we want to go next.
We tweak our direction. We set our path. And then we crack on.
Be sure of your roots, then look for your light
One of the Psychologists on our team thinks about this as a tree finding its light.
You make sure your roots are strong. Hold on to that stuff that keeps you steady.
For him, that’s being sure of his purpose. Surfing. Keeping relationships strong with friends and family. Giving something back to the community.
Once the roots are in place, the wind and rain can come, but the tree stays strong.
The direction is all about looking for the light. Where will he find the light, this year, that helps his tree grow? A tree doesn’t need to plan the direction it travels - it just reaches for the light and nature takes care of the rest.
Translation: once your core purpose is set, where you end up is irrelevant. Stay true to your roots and the journey will work itself out.
When the tough stuff comes up, he likes to keep in mind that a bit of sh*t is no fun to shovel but it’s great for the garden.
Set your Compass
Maybe I’m a bit more of a control freak, but I prefer the ‘set your compass’ approach.
I don’t need to see exactly where I’m going all of the time. It doesn’t matter if the road ahead is filled with mist and fog.
What matters is that I have set my intention for the direction of travel.
I’ve decided on the key principles that I will follow this year and I trust these principles to point me in the right direction.
Last year, I followed the principles of Build and Grow.
This year, it’s Change and Adventure.
Another of our Psychologists uses this approach and for her, this year is Energy, Joy, Community.
What are your principles for 2024 and how can you find them?
How you can find your light (or set your compass)
How do we come up with this stuff?
Well, being a workplace Psychologist involves a lot of reflection. In addition to speaking to people about some pretty personal stuff, we spend a lot of our time reading research about the brain and about the ways in which humans interact with each other.
When we’re not talking to people or learning about what makes people and workplaces tick, we’re thinking.
Over the years we have figured out where and how our thinking happens best, based partly from experience and partly from the literature (scientific research).
Like any big idea, setting intentions takes some time. We don’t just immediately land on our purpose. We settle into it, observe and watch without judgment as it matures (like a fine wine).
How to find your way in the dark
Whether you see yourself as a tree person who needs to be sure of their roots to move forward, or you’re a pathfinder who feels most at home adventuring on new ground, here are some tools you can use to feel like you’re traveling in the right direction this year.
Figure out where and how you do your best reflecting
They say Einstein did a lot of his thinking on a bicycle. Archimedes supposedly had his flash of inspiration stepping into the bath. Taylor Swift, Oprah Winfrey, and even the late Queen Elizabeth have talked about keeping regular journals.
Anywhere that gives you a time to think and a sense of calm should do the trick. Thinking while doing light exercise, especially in nature, can be helpful to keep your mood positive especially if you are reflecting on a difficult situation.
Writing down your thoughts isn’t mandatory but it may help you to organise your thinking and see things more clearly.
Work out your ‘why’?
We all have those times in life when we feel like we’re just being pulled along on the currents of life rather than finding our own way.
For many people, this feeling has intensified over the past few years as global events have forced us to adapt in ways that we didn’t plan for and might not have chosen.
At the start of the year, feeling out of control of our lives can be a driving motivator to strive for our own change, or it can be a trigger for feeling a bit ‘meh.’
Figuring out what drives us internally and having control over our own motivations and choices can give us a sense of sureness and consistency that will help us navigate change.
How can you work out your ‘why’?
Go to the place where you do your best reflecting - whether that be a long drive, walk in the park, swim, or a hot bath, and ask yourself some questions.
What makes you feel good? What skill do you have that contributes positively to the people around you? What makes you feel inspired? Who inspires you and what do you think their purpose is? What do you choose to do with your time when you have a truly free day? Imagine your best self and how that version of you would choose to spend their life.
If these questions just throw up more questions, that’s okay. Working out your ‘why’ will take more than one session of reflection for most people. It may even take a lifetime and go through various different iterations as we learn and grow and our values adapt.
Then what?
Trust your instincts.
Believe in the best version of yourself.
Rather than concentrating on achieving specific, measurable goals and beating yourself up when you don’t achieve them, think more generally about what you want to invite into your life this year. Rather than planning exactly how you will conquer challenges, think about how you will approach challenges.
Have the courage to go general. Say yes to new things that are aligned with your values. Be ready to flex with the storms of whatever life throws at you.
Make 2024 the year you travel light. Be sure of your roots, and let your compass guide you.
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Did you find this helpful? Want to check out more of our stuff?
We are Glia, a bunch of workplace psychologists who help organisations build better teams, effective leadership, and happier people.
We offer coaching for individuals, groups and leaders and strategic plans to address and manage psychosocial risks in organisations.
How can we help you and your organisation?
Check out our next public workshop - Psychosocial Risk Management for Leaders: 21 March 09:00 - 12:00. See all the details and sign up here.
We are a virtual business and rarely run public workshops so this may be one of your last chances to catch us in person. We plan to keep the group small so we can really focus on each individual participant.
Zero-cost lunchtime WorkFit Webinar: Join registered workplace Psychologists Bridget Jelley and Jay Barrett as they chew the fat about Workload - how much is too much? How much isn’t enough? Save the date - 7 Feb at 12 noon NZT and follow Bridget Jelley on LinkedIn here for the event link.
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