My wife and I just got back from a personal retreat. We both stay very busy and need to learn to take more personal time. It seemed like it was just Easter, then we turned around and realized we had taken very little time off from work and home life. Where did the time go?

Does that sound like you?

Getting away helps refresh and renew your mindset and outlook. It helps you reset and get re-energized. For me, personal retreats help clear my mind of all the clutter flying at me day in and day out. It helps me reorganize and plan. It is also relational time for me and my wife to reconnect on deeper levels.

On this getaway, I realized I had been teetering on burnout. My enthusiasm for work and life was waning. Can you relate? Do you feel like you are making a difference at work and home? Do you feel like your enthusiasm is running low?

As an influencer, your encouragement and enthusiasm impacts those around you. One of the questions I often ask budding authors, leaders, and speakers is, “Are you enthusiastic about your topic?” Whether it be a professional speaker, teacher, manager, or CEO, the power of enthusiasm has a remarkable effect on people. When you are enthused and excited about a topic or project, the people around you get excited too. When you are not enthusiastic about a topic or project—guess what? Yep, the people around you pick up on it and are not interested either.

The power of enthusiasm affects us all. Henry Ford said it well:

You can do anything if you have enthusiasm. Enthusiasm is the yeast that makes your hopes rise to the stars. Enthusiasm is the spark in your eye, the swing in your gait, the grip of your hand, the irresistible surge of your will and your energy to execute your ideas. Enthusiasts are fighters, they have fortitude, they have staying qualities. Enthusiasm is at the bottom of all progress! With it there is accomplishment. Without it, there are only alibis.

Questions to Consider

Are you enthusiastic about…

  • where you are in your career?
  • the place that you work?
  • the position you are in?
  • your particular role on the leadership team?
  • the projects you are working on?
  • your personal and professional relationships?
  • what you are studying?
  • the direction your life is headed?
  • what will happen today?
  • what may happen tomorrow?

As you can see, enthusiasm touches every aspect of our lives. Don’t settle for mediocrity. If you’re in a place that you are less than enthused about, what options or opportunities do you see around you? Can you get excited about what you’re doing? Do you need a change of pace or place?

Change of Pace

If you find yourself in a hum-drum unenthusiastic season of life, you should think about increasing your pace. Do you feel driven? Do you push yourself each day? Is there a spring in your step and sense of urgency you’re bringing to your work? If not, you should consider setting quick-turnaround goals for yourself to heighten your pace and inject some excitement back into work. Be mindful not to swing the “pace pendulum” too far. If the pace is always fast, burn out is not far behind. It is variety and a healthy change of pace that keep people engaged. 

Change of Place

Some people like change. It promotes a sense of new possibilities. This could apply to you. 

A change of place for you could simply be going into the office a couple days a week or allowing work from home one or two days a week. Your organization likely has policies in place about work from home due to Covid. Many of the teams I have worked with enjoy the productivity and flexibility of working from home. What works best for you?You could also look for a new place and space in your home or office to work. Creating a “war room” or “thinking space” in another area can help promote enthusiasm as well as creative spirit.

Another Place All Together

You have likely heard the recent news about “The Great Resignation”. Since Covid and last year’s migration to work from home, many employees are not interested in going back into the office. Many are leaving current companies in order to stay working from home. I am not recommending leaving your current organization. Yet, like many, you may thrive on change. New ideas, new problems to solve, new people, new things to learn, and new surroundings get you jazzed and enthusiastic. It could be you’ve gotten bored in your current work area, and another part of the organization looks interesting. Start researching that area or department. Meet people that work there, and ask them questions. Talk to your leadership and HR about opportunities to transition. 

In some instances, you may feel you truly need to change companies. As you’ve been exposed to the leadership in your job, you may find it is combative and unhealthy. It could be dragging you down and impacting your physical and emotional health. If this is you, I recommend seeking the counsel of those who know you best and can offer objective advice. Be honest when assessing the situation. We can easily fool ourselves into thinking the company is worse than it actually is. As a friend once told me, the grass may look greener in the other yard, but it could be because of a leaky septic tank. Do you truly need to leave for your own health and sanity, or are you running away from a challenging environment? Getting honest and objective insight will help you with the decision-making process. 

Life is and can be fun! Take a look around, assess the situation, and choose today what kind of enthusiasm you are going to show and teach through example. Others will pick up on your cues, whether excited or sour. Find something in your work, in each project, that you can get excited about. Make your excitement evident in how you walk and talk. Like me, you might only need a personal getaway to recalibrate and get fired back up. What will it take for you to become enthusiastic again? Do you need a change of pace or place? Let me know in the comments below.  

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