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| Image by Gabby K |
Thanksgiving is a nice time to pause and reflect on ALL of the things in our lives that we are grateful for. Surely you can agree, from COVID-19 to the political unrest in our world, 2020 has made it challenging to express our appreciation. Despite this, we can still discover gratefulness in having good health, the love of family or friends, and even our career. Here are 5 practical reasons to give ‘thanks’ for your career even when you find it hard to do so:
1.You are employed - due to COVID-19, many people have either lost their job or had their hours reduced. This has left individuals with limited to no income to support themselves or their families, and, as a result, many are unemployed or have to rely on assistance for food from churches or food pantries. Being gainfully employed means that you can continue to pay bills, purchase food, and save for retirement. You are also able to help out those in need.
2.You have a work-life balance - agree to disagree, but working from home has added more balance. It has saved time commuting, increased time with loved ones, and allowed for the flexibility to learn a new hobby. Sure, working from home is an adjustment, but if you shift your perspective, there are positives to working from home. Like, for me, it reduced (not eliminated :) ) the hustle and bustle that came from going into the office and attending after-work functions pre-COVID life.
3.You can demonstrate your leadership skills - 2020 is an excellent time to demonstrate to your boss and your boss’s boss how well you pivot in unprecedented times. The remote environment has left a shield of transparency where now more than ever it is easy to assess those that are overperforming or underperforming in daily work tasks. Which one are you?
4.You are still making an impact - Whether you are in a nonprofit, for-profit, consulting, or entrepreneur, you can continue to contribute to making a difference in the lives of those you serve. While COVID-19 fatigue is real (I've experienced it), serving others allows you to take the focus off of yourself and onto someone else that is looking for help.
5. You have time for innovative disruption - what does this mean? During the holiday season and moving into 2021 amidst the pandemic, you can start strategizing about how to be creative in your work. For example, you can uncover processes to do your work efficiently or approaches to reach new clients. This season is the best time to be grateful for the space to increase your innovation.
There is plenty to give ‘thanks’ for, especially, in your career. Let’s not hit the pause button on Thanksgiving to express our gratitude, let's press play to continually set aside time to be grateful each day.