Finding Inspiration at Work

By Tina Reynolds | Published on Jan 12, 2015 | Blog

Showing up to work every day with a love for what you do is a gift. I have been lucky enough to be doing work I love for the past 23 years, and still find inspiration every day. When hard work meets with opportunity, passion for what you do unfolds and a business can really take off.

Here are five tips that work for me:

1. Inspiring emails – Every day, the emails can take over my entire morning and what I want to work on is put to the end of the day. Every day there are new opportunities in this stack of emails that I need to add to my list of goals for the week. These new opportunities are always there, you just have to look for them in the regular flow. Maybe it is a great article that will inspire you to read, or an event that you want to attend. Add them to your list, prioritize them with your other goals, and check off the things you complete. I only move due dates on my goals list two times – then I can’t move them any more and have to complete the task.
2. Look to your stars – Find local folks that you look up to, check them out on LinkedIn, read their bios, find out what they do to be successful and be inspired. Your “stars” will help lead you in a direction that may be more fulfilling to you. If you see they are going to a particular event or speaking at a workshop, sign up and introduce yourself – be inspired!
3. Ask for an hour of mentoring – When you are struggling with anything in particular in business, look at your contact list and ask one of your casual contacts that you look up to to have lunch with you. Let them know you are hoping that they will mentor you during this lunch with some very particular help with issues you are having. This mentoring can become the beginning of relationships that would normally be out of reach for you. This type of time “giving” by the mentor makes them feel their personal value and helps you at the same time.
4. Look to your team – Struggling with something or some part of work? Seek the help of your coworkers! What is “work” for you may be fun for them, and they are easy to reach out to. And as a side benefit, your reward can be helping them with something they don’t like doing that you may love. Talk to each other and work together.
5. Something hard – Sometimes the tasks that are incredibly difficult to complete are the jobs that will give you the most experience. Try to change your attitude when things get tough – dig in and figure out difficult challenges. The pride you feel when it is done correctly will fill you and get you closer to being inspired.

Need help to find your inspiration? Follow Uptown Studios on Twitter at @UptownStudios!