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Spring is when opportunity surrounds us: Plants are blooming and coming into their fullness. Snowmelt and rains bring streams and rivers rushing through their paths. New life is everywhere. Spring is a powerful time to tune in to nature’s abundance and be open to new opportunities. Whether that means an unexpected twist <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/4-ways-to-attract-more-business-opportunities/">in your work life</a> that brings in more wealth, a new and enlivening relationship that fills your spirit or even a chance to <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/why-traveling-the-world-is-the-best-investment-in-yourself/">travel and experience new things</a>, we would all do well to open ourselves to the unknown pleasures the universe has in store for us.



<h2>4 ways to be open to new opportunities</h2>



However, we must first do the work of readying ourselves to receive these opportunities. <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/11-ways-to-attract-abundance-in-your-life/">Cultivating abundance</a>, clearing away busy minds and schedules, focusing on gratitude and committing to curiosity are all key to opening the window that will allow opportunity to shine in. This work is not hard, but it is intentional. Here are four ways to invite opportunity into your life during this season of growth:



<h3 id="h-1-cultivate-an-abundance-mindset">1. Cultivate an abundance mindset.</h3>



For many of us, having enough never feels like enough because we <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/carolinecastrillon/2020/07/12/5-ways-to-go-from-a-scarcity-to-abundance-mindset/?sh=60c292711197" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">live with a scarcity mindset</a>. The rug could come out from under us at any second, so we have to hustle and overproduce in order to stay ahead. If you live your life in constant worry that the well is about to run dry, however, you may create a self-fulfilling prophecy (and even if you don’t, you’ll certainly produce a lot of unnecessary anxiety). Instead, start each morning with a mantra that cultivates an abundance mindset. Tell yourself that you live in a world of abundance, that good things are coming your way and that you <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/change-is-growth-3-tips-for-embracing-new-opportunities/">welcome opportunity with open arms</a>.



<h3 id="h-2-clear-your-mind-and-your-schedule">2. Clear your mind and your schedule.</h3>



We live in a culture that <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/how-to-find-freedom-from-toxic-hustle-culture/">glorifies busy and productive</a> and leaves little room for quiet exploration of self. But those <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/the-advantages-of-solitude/">moments of solitude</a> are exactly what you need; if you are hyper-focused on staying busy, opportunities will pass you by. You must let go of the scarcity mindset that tells you constant motion is the only way to find peace and security. You need breathing room to explore what you really want. Clearing your mind and opening your schedule will allow you to make room for the opportunity you most desire to come into your life.



<h3 id="h-3-say-thank-you">3. Say thank you.</h3>



You might think of <a href="https://hbr.org/2021/11/how-to-write-a-meaningful-thank-you-note" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">thank you notes</a> as something reserved for post-party gratitude, but they can actually be a great way to foster connection. Thank people for sharing their time, their expertise and their experience, whether with a handwritten note or an email. Send a thank you note to people who have influenced your growth. Thank people who have shown up for you during hard times in your life. The act of writing your gratitude and literally sending it out into the world will help open yourself new opportunities. Not only does it remind you to live in a state of gratitude and abundance, but showing your appreciation and interest in others will bring both giver and receiver a tremendous boost in happiness.



<h3 id="h-4-get-curious-to-be-open-to-new-opportunities">4. Get curious to be open to new opportunities.</h3>



Do you remember the curiosity you once had in childhood? Do you remember how much your world opened up thanks to that curiosity? So why do we stop being curious about our world and ourselves? Opportunity loves growth, so if you are doing the same things, thinking about the same things and pursuing the same things day after day, opportunity isn’t likely to come knocking. Allow yourself room to be curious about what truly interests you, and lean into learning more about yourself. It is our job as humans to <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/want-to-reach-your-potential-then-be-a-learner/">grow and seek knowledge</a>. In doing so, we will be open to accepting new opportunities in our lives.



This article was published in May 2019 and has been updated. Photo by Pressmaster/Shutterstock

It's a good idea to be open to new opportunities. After all, the universe may just have unknown pleasures in store for you. Here’s how.

Open yourself up to new opportunities—the universe may have unknown pleasures in store. Here’s how to invite opportunity into your life. | SUCCESS

4 Ways to Invite Opportunity Into Your Life

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How to Be Open to New Opportunities in Life and at Work | SUCCESS

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Gemma Hartley is a full-time freelance writer living in Reno, Nevada. Her work has appeared in The Washington Post, CNBC, Glamour, Women’s Health, Redbook and more.

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Gemma Hartley

frustrated women writing impulsive decision email

Less than two weeks from the first day of school, I received an email informing us about a $500 tuition increase. I was outraged. I wanted to scorch the earth. How dare they play with people’s finances that way? How dare they wait this long to tell us, when finding another option would be near impossible? I wanted to make the impulsive decision to demand my deposit back and switch schools right then and there. I wanted justice, and I wanted it now.



<h2>Why I Tend to Make Bad Decisions</h2>



When a situation gets my temper flaring, it’s hard to <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/manage-your-time-manage-your-emotions/">keep my emotions tamped down</a>. I’m not a terribly hot-headed person. Though, with how quick and easy it is to hit “reply” on an email, I can certainly come across that way. In fact, I’ve made many bad, impulsive decisions simply because it was so easy to shoot off a response without first coming to my senses.



If I think a decision is wrong, unjust or just plain inefficient, I want to speak my mind. I have been bulldozed and taken advantage of plenty of times while learning the ins and outs of life. I don’t let that happen anymore. It took a long time to <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/3-tips-for-finding-your-voice/">find my voice</a>. Now, I feel compelled to <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/10-powerful-ways-to-stand-up-for-yourself-in-any-situation/">stand up for myself</a> at the first sign of injustice.



When a situation upsets me, my immediate reaction is to spearhead the problem with a sharply worded response. I’m a writer, after all.



Yet more often than not, after carefully editing my own email and sending it off while I’m still brooding, I end up <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/what-to-do-when-you-make-a-bad-decision/">regretting the swift response</a>. The choice to say something might seem logical in the heat of the moment. I can talk myself into anything with a lawyer-like persuasiveness, especially when I’m upset.



I texted my mom friends about the tuition hike. My husband heard all about it all evening. My instinct to switch schools was, in fact, correct—I felt relatively certain about it. I was ready to pull the trigger. I wrote out a sharply worded response to the principal, telling them I was pulling my kids from the school and giving them a piece of my mind. 



<h2 id="h-this-trick-helps-me-avoid-impulsive-decisions">This Trick Helps Me Avoid Impulsive Decisions</h2>



I didn't press send, but I wanted to. Sitting in this limbo of not knowing where my kids would be going to school in less than two weeks was almost physically painful for me. I was ready to jump headlong into a decision, but I knew I wasn’t allowed to send that email while the adrenaline was still coursing through my body. Why? Because I finally discovered the key to <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/decision-making-strategies-2795483" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">halting my bad</a> <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/decision-making-strategies-2795483" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">decisions</a> was to give myself a cooling-off period.



Forcing myself to wait 12 to 24 hours before responding to situations I perceive as negative gives my brain time to process more rationally—a simple hack that has saved me from myriad bad, impulsive decisions. After all, those who make quick decisions and seek immediate closure are often basing their decisions on poor judgment. <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-64540-0#Sec14" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Negative emotions and impulsivity</a> can overwhelm the analytical side of your brain, which you need to make the best choice.



Anger is a <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/how-anger-can-affect-your-whole-day/">particularly tricky emotion</a> to get around when making decisions. It instills confidence and often fuels a need for justice. That’s why, while writing angry responses, I always feel certain that I’m doing and saying the right thing. Anger helps me ignore the fact that I haven’t carefully considered all sides of the situation, because it feels like I’m thinking clearly.



It also makes the waiting period difficult. When I’m convinced that I’m making a rational decision and sorting through all angles, the anger that triggered the initial response wants the satisfaction of action. Acting after 24 hours doesn’t have the same effect—and that’s the point.



<h2>Making Rational Decisions</h2>



When I woke up the next morning with the unsent email in my drafts, I was less certain of my school-switching position. I did a little more research. I asked the school to elaborate on how they came to their decision. Two days later, I did decide to switch schools, but I did so knowing it was the right choice for my family. I wasn’t seeking out justice; I was seeking out the best option.



Quick decision making is not without its merits. But when it comes to a heated moment, sometimes thinking slow is best. Giving myself adequate time to reconsider a brash response has saved relationships, jobs and a lot of embarrassment. It curbs my bad decisions and ensures I’m not relying on shaky logic in my decision making. If 12 to 24 hours is what it takes to stop an impulsive decision in its tracks, it’s well worth the wait.



This article was published in October 2017 and has been updated. Photo by fizkes/Shutterstock

When responding to negative news, it’s easy to make bad, impulsive decisions. Here’s why it’s important to wait before making a decision.

When responding to negative news, it’s easy to make bad, impulsive decisions. Here’s why it’s important to wait before making a decision. | SUCCESS

How I Stop a Bad Decision in Its Tracks

Want to Stop Making Impulsive Decisions? Do This Instead | SUCCESS

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Personal Development

Personal Development Archives

Personal Development | SUCCESS | What Achievers Read

Most of us go into January
with our resolutions strongly in the front of our minds. Many of us even make
it through the month with flying colors, believing that because we have hit the
30-day mark, that we’ve forever <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/10-quotes-about-changing-your-life-with-good-habits/">changed
our habits</a>. However, as we traverse into February and March, those new
habits often fall by the wayside, while the old habits we’re trying to change
stay firmly rooted. Is there any way to change the pattern for good?



As Charles Duhigg explains in his book <a href="https://amzn.to/2G9tvLe" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)">The Power of Habit</a>, all habits are made up of three key components: cue, routine and reward. So one of the best ways to stick to your habits and <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-habits/">create stronger, more productive routines</a> is to link your habits together in an unbroken chain. That means that one single cue will become the impetus for a whole slew of healthy habits, because the routine and reward of the first habit will become the cue for the next one, and so on.&nbsp;



Of course, adding a whole
bunch of new habits to your daily routine is likely going to take some serious
focus and dedication, at least when you’re starting, so here are some tips on
how to create strong habit chains that will become second-nature in no time.



<h3>1.
Explore your goals.</h3>



Maybe you have a list of
New Year’s resolution habits, or maybe they’re still floating vaguely around in
your head. What do they look like? <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/do-you-drink-enough-water/">Drink more water?</a>
Lose weight? It’s time to get way more specific. Get a clear goal in mind, like
running a marathon in September, or drinking 64 ounces of water every day. Then
break those goals down into actionable steps that can become a part of your
routine.&nbsp;



Let’s take the water
example. Maybe you put a 16-ounce glass of water next to your bed at night and
drink it first thing in the morning. Now you’re already a quarter of a way to
your daily goal. Do the same thing at night. Halfway there. Now drink 8 ounces
with breakfast and lunch and another large glass with dinner (or maybe during
your workout), and your goal will be fully integrated into your routine.&nbsp;



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">Related: <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/rohn-4-tips-for-setting-powerful-goals/">4 Tips for Setting Powerful Goals</a> </blockquote>



<h3>2.
Connect the chain.</h3>



Figuring out where you want to add habits into your routine is important, because that will clue you in to what your cue will be. For the water, you have multiple cues (unless you want to chug half a gallon of water at once): waking, sitting down for meals, and going to bed. But what if you have more than one habit goal? It’s going to take a lot of willpower and focus to come up with multiple triggers and fit them all into your daily routine. So instead, take one habit (if it’s an already established habit, even better!) and build on it to create a habit chain. Think about what you do when you first wake up. Maybe you make your bed. Maybe you drink your glass of water. Whatever that first thing is, add on to it until you have a multi-step routine that includes some of your new habits. For example, when I come into the kitchen each morning, the first thing I do is set a pot of water to boil for my tea. Since this is a well-established habit, I used this as my trigger for a new habit: drinking a glass of water mixed with apple cider vinegar. As I'm making my tea, I know I have to finish my less enticing beverage before I move on to caffeine. That first sip of tea is then my trigger to begin making breakfast, and putting my plate in the sink (another established habit) is my trigger to wash the dishes (underdeveloped habit) and then dry and put them away.



<h3>3. Link up rewards.</h3>



It’s important to make pleasant connections in our habit chains, because we won’t resist our new habits as much if they are linked to something the brain perceives as a reward. In the example of my routine, having a cup of tea (and that lovely first jolt of caffeine in the morning) has now become my reward for drinking a large glass of water and vinegar. Say you need to run three miles as part of your early marathon-training schedule. Link that to an obviously rewarding habit you already have, such as listening to a favorite podcast. Make a pact with yourself that you will only listen to your favorite podcast when you lace up and go for a run. If that podcast&nbsp;happens to be the same length as your training time, even better.



<h3>4.
Be wise with your willpower.</h3>



One of the reasons we so often fail when trying to integrate new habits into our lives is that we have a limited amount of willpower, and it tends to get used up very quickly with how many decisions we have to make every day. That’s why you should consider when your willpower and energy is at full capacity, and when you tend to fall off the wagon when you’re trying to build new habits into your routine. For most people, <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/15-ways-to-effectively-strengthen-your-willpower/">willpower</a> is at its highest point first thing in the morning, because our brain hasn’t been fatigued by decision-making yet. Since your resolve is usually highest in the morning, creating strong habit chains here makes sense. It helps to write down your habit chains at first, especially if they are long, but soon your brain’s muscle memory will begin to kick in and you’ll intuitively know what comes next. In time, your habits will be so ingrained you’ll be running on autopilot and can start focusing your energy on the next big thing you hope to accomplish.&nbsp;



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">Related: <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/beyond-resolutions-the-complete-guide-to-achieving-your-new-year-goals/">The Complete Guide to Achieving Your New Year Goals</a></blockquote>



 Image by Devita ayu silvianingtyas/Shutterstock.com



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Creating habit chains is one of the best ways to stick to new habits and create stronger, more productive everyday routines.

Creating habit chains is one of the best ways to stick to new habits and create stronger, more productive everyday routines. | SUCCESS

The Missing Link to Changing Your Habits

The Missing Link to Changing Your Habits | SUCCESS

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Professional Growth

Professional Growth Archives

Professional Growth | SUCCESS | What Achievers Read

Success

Success Archives

Success | SUCCESS | What Achievers Read

Over the past month, I interviewed three times for a job I felt sure I would get. It felt, from the moment I heard about it, as if it were tailored specifically for my qualifications. It was the perfect match for both my skills and passion, and each step closer made me more self-assured that I was the natural fit. I (perhaps not so wisely) put aside all other work to focus exclusively on creating space for this new job. I worked hard to nail my interviews. I gave it my all. Yet in the end, I failed to get the job.

I felt both blindsided and bereft when I received the news that I was the runner-up with not so much as a ribbon to commemorate my efforts. I wished them well with their new candidate, but I secretly wanted to beg them for the answer to that ego-crushing question: Why not me?

To compound my feeling of failure, this wasn’t a new scenario for me—not in the least. A couple months earlier, I had the same experience interviewing for a slightly less perfect job. Totally qualified, vying as one of the final two and ultimately coming up short. It hurt.

As much as these failures were a blow to my pride, I’ve come to see the silver lining in each of them. The first job was good money, but I wasn’t terribly passionate about it. It would have taken up a good deal of my time and creative energy. It wasn’t quite right, and had I taken it, I never would have had the time or inclination to apply myself with such force and dedication to this second job. The other one I didn’t get. The one that smacked my ego in the face but humbled me for the next opportunity. The one that now leaves me open to a new and far better path than I had originally anticipated, just as every failure does.

The truth is, these back-to back failures have been invaluable to my future because they have shown me (firmly) the paths that are not for me. Failure can be a lesson in impermanence, or one in <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/3-tips-to-tame-your-ego-when-it-threatens-success/">taming your ego</a> or learning the art of self-improvement. Failure is a masterful teacher in ways success often isn’t.

It gives you the opportunity to analyze your experiences and improve for the next time.

But for all the virtuous lessons that can apply to any number of failures, the most consistent silver lining is that of opportunity—not the one you “missed” but the one that is inevitably on its way. Failure isn’t always about learning to be better, faster or stronger than the next guy. Sometimes it’s about learning, in hindsight, that the best was yet to come.

Even though this second job was a better fit than the first, I have come away feeling less scarred by the failure because I know that these experiences are preparing me for the next opportunity. Not only that, the failure itself leaves me open to something better, even if I am not yet certain of what that entails.

It may seem like blind hope or unwise optimism, but framing failure as a gift of opportunity isn’t without merit. In fact, there are many “famous failures” who have shown that failure is one of the key stepping stones of success:
<ul>
 	<li><a href="https://www.inc.com/business-insider/21-successful-people-who-rebounded-after-getting-fired.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Oprah Winfrey was famously fired</a> from her television news job and given over to a daytime talk show as a sort of consolation prize—the opportunity that would take her to unimaginable heights in her career.</li>
 	<li><a href="https://www.vogue.com.au/vogue-codes/news/anna-wintour-was-once-fired-from-her-styling-job-says-it-was-character-building/news-story/5309765e5cb67b6acd026f2d88c18026" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Anna Wintour was fired</a> as a junior fashion editor from Harper’s Bazaar because her style was too “edgy”—a trait her career would depend on in her decades-long run as editor-in-chief of Vogue.</li>
 	<li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/15-people-who-were-fired-before-they-became-filthy-rich-2011-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Walt Disney was fired</a> as a cartoonist for The Kansas City Star newspaper because he “lacked imagination and had no good ideas”—which led him, undeterred, to strike out for Hollywood and found Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio.</li>
</ul>
These are extreme cases of success to be certain, but they each show the powerful opportunity that failure brings to the picture: bigger, better opportunity waiting in the eaves. It can mean toiling away at a path that doesn’t harness your best and brightest self—a learning experience, and the first step toward <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/rachel-hollis-made-for-more/">more than you imagined for yourself</a>. If you ask me, that’s a silver lining well worth celebrating.
<blockquote>Related: <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/12-empowering-lessons-about-failure/">12 Empowering Lessons About Failure</a></blockquote>
PHOTO BY POWERUP / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Failure isn’t always about learning to be better, faster or stronger. Sometimes it’s about learning, in hindsight, that the best was yet to come.

Failure isn’t always about learning to be better, faster or stronger. Sometimes it’s about learning, in hindsight, that the best was yet to come. | SUCCESS

The Silver Lining of Every Failure

The Silver Lining of Every Failure | SUCCESS

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Heading into summer, New Year’s and all the resolutions that came with it are becoming a distant memory. I always start out the year ready to fulfill my potential, but oftentimes that resolve wanes throughout the year. I lose sight of what I imagined the possibilities to look like, or circumstances will shift and growth will occur. That’s the nature of life—and not something I want to escape, but rather something I want to be mindful of when I think about whether or not I am reaching my full potential.

I decided the best way to stay tuned into fulfilling that best version of myself was not to hold off until the days or weeks before Jan. 1 to think about who I want to be. Instead, I took the route of quarterly self-evaluations to check in with how I was adjusting, growing and accomplishing the goals of the previous three months.

Looking a year ahead can be daunting, and often our resolve wanes throughout the year (how many New Year's resolutions are still going strong come May?), but by creating a quarterly system, you can <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/why-your-new-years-resolutions-are-absolutely-failing/">re-evaluate</a> every few months.
<blockquote>Related: <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/john-c-maxwell-you-are-filled-with-extraordinary-potential/">You Are Filled With Extraordinary Potential</a> </blockquote>
Here are four points of focus you can use to help you continually reach your potential:
<h2>Healthy Habits</h2>
Before the start of each quarter, I list <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-habits/">habits</a> I want to monitor, not because the habits themselves are life changing (despite what some have told me, drinking apple cider vinegar each morning has not revolutionized my world), but because creating healthy habits enables me to live up to my full potential. If I am making lots of effortless good choices, the next good choice is so much easier to make.

Try this: Track the habits you already have in place. They can be really great ones (like going for a run every morning at 5:30 a.m.) or mundane things you tend to overlook (like brushing your teeth). Now try adding a habit on top of the one already in place to pair them together. Drink a nutrient-rich smoothie following your morning workout or meditate for five minutes after you brush your teeth. This is called “<a href="https://jamesclear.com/habit-stacking" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">habit stacking</a>,” where the habit already in place becomes the cue for the habit you are forming.
<h2>Goal Setting</h2>
Fulfilling your <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/how-to-hack-your-goals-for-future-you/">goals</a> isn’t the same as fulfilling your potential, but having a vision for what you want to accomplish each quarter can help guide you in that direction. Our goals are usually a reflection of what we believe our best self can do, and so by revisiting or refining our goals each quarter, we don’t lose sight of what we believe our potential can help us achieve.

Try this: List whichever big goals you want to accomplish, be it for the upcoming quarter, the year or the next decade. Think about the habits and small tasks you can do this quarter that will lead to that ultimate goal, and then begin to break the big picture down into <a href="https://www.achieveit.com/resources/blog/how-to-create-actionable-goals-in-just-3-steps" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">actionable goals</a>. Becoming a published author is a big goal, but writing 500 words a week, posting to a blog twice a month and taking a creative writing course at your local college are all actionable steps to move you toward that goal. Make sure your actionable goals are specific and have due dates within the quarter so you keep up your momentum.
<h2>Values
</h2>
What does it look like to realize your potential? Being busy all the time? Spreading yourself thin to do everything humanly possible? Acquiring wealth? Conventional success? Of course not! Fulfilling your potential is not all about optimization, but rather about living in a way that aligns with your values. Therefore, the most surefire way to reach your potential is to make sure you are in tune with your values and check in regularly to keep your actions and goals in line with them.

Try this: You know what your values are, but have you ever taken a moment to write them down? A great exercise to keep you in tune with your value-driven potential is to <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/do-your-actions-reflect-your-values/">list out some of your core values</a> and pick one per quarter to focus on. If connecting deeply with friends and family is something you value, make it a priority by being the one to make phone calls and gather people together. Keep a running list of ways you have connected to review at the end of each quarter.
<h2>Circumstances</h2>
Reaching your potential will not always look the same from season to season. Sometimes circumstances will push you into survival mode, and other times you will be in the perfect environment for growth and experimentation. Be aware that slowing down doesn’t necessarily mean you are failing to reach your potential. It may just mean that you are going through a time of transition or grief that is temporary. Remember, nothing lasts forever, and there is always next quarter for a renewed sense of purpose and drive.

Try this: Give yourself a gut check to see if you’re truly fulfilling your potential in this season of life. Consider your circumstances, see if there is change in sight, and be honest with yourself about what you can and cannot do in the moment. No one can tell you for certain whether or not you are living up to your potential, but you will know if you are. Trust that, and keep checking in with yourself.
<blockquote>Related: <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/4-changes-you-can-make-to-reach-your-full-potential/">4 Changes You Can Make to Reach Your Full Potential</a></blockquote>
Photo by @esspeshal via Twenty20

With quarterly self-evaluations, you can check-in with yourself every few months. Focus on these four points to help you continually reach your potential.

Take the route of quarterly self-evaluations to check in with how you are adjusting, growing and accomplishing your goals from the previous three months. | SUCCESS

How You Can Continually Reach Your Potential

4 Actionable Tips to Help You Continually Reach Your Potential

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Future of Work

Future of Work Archives

Future of Work | SUCCESS | What Achievers Read

Sometimes it’s hard to make the switch from work life to home life. You’ll find yourself thinking about a big project while playing with your kids, or shooting off emails on the weekends when you said you wouldn’t. I often vow that I will dock my phone when I’m at home, resisting the urge to check emails round the clock. Then as soon as I’m in the pickup line at school or sitting on a bench at the park, I’m on it, scrolling through my inbox, sending quick responses, suddenly stewing over work issues on what I promised would be my “off” time. I snap at my kids while writing emails. I only half-listen to my husband while trying to write a new pitch. I always feel like I have a foot in both worlds.

We might say we want <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/podcast/ep-76-how-to-find-your-work-life-balance">a balanced life</a>, where work and home don’t mingle, but our actions often say otherwise. At work, we check Facebook and scroll Instagram, our minds drifting to happy hours and weekends. On our personal time, we’re pulled to check email or make revisions to a nagging project. When we’re supposed to be present with our loved ones, we’re only half there.

Related:&nbsp; <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/john-c-maxwell-4-steps-to-create-balance-in-your-life">4 Steps to Create Balance in Your Life</a>

Our personal lives struggle when we are constantly pulled to work. This is something we are all aware of, and it’s a dilemma we culturally strive to rectify: how to create a work environment that supports a better home life. No one wants to be distracted by unfinished business when they are supposed to be off the clock. No one should have their <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/14-science-backed-reasons-to-disconnect-over-the-weekend">leisure time</a> negated because they are stressed about everything on their plates at work. But there is another side to this work-life balance that we often don’t address—that our work suffers when we aren’t giving it 100 percent, too.

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<h3 class="rtecenter">As much as we like to pretend we are overworked and have no time for ourselves, that narrative doesn’t always hold true.</h3>

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The truth is, for as much as we like to pretend we are overworked and have no <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/blog/5-signs-you-need-a-pause">time for ourselves</a>, that narrative doesn’t always hold true. How many of us start the workday diving into our toughest projects, not waning in focus from the moment we start until the moment we finish? For whole 8-, 10-, 12-hour days? Few, if any at all.

A more likely scenario is ambling into the office, checking emails and scrolling news. You start working and then hit a small snag, something you could work through with some <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/the-3-components-of-mental-strength">mental fortitude</a>, but instead you decide to hit the vending machine and get a snack, maybe catch up with a colleague while you’re up. You have a meeting coming up, and the hard stuff isn’t worth getting into, so you bide your time with other small tasks that take less mental energy. After the meeting, you take lunch, then try to get back to it when you come back, but that’s easier said than done. Maybe you check emails again or make a phone call. At that point, there isn’t much time left to <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/flow-makes-life-better-so-go-with-it-heres-how">get into a state of flow</a> with the project you had originally intended to tackle for the day, so you fill the time with more peripheral work. And because it’s late afternoon, you find yourself distracted by thoughts about what’s for dinner or the night’s plans. You end the day feeling like you’ve been going nonstop, but not a whole lot has actually been accomplished.

Related: <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/blog/8-things-killing-your-productivity">8 Things Killing Your Productivity</a>

The average workday probably includes a lot less “work” than we think. We take ample breaks, socialize, daydream, check social media. Although we will have periods of concentrated work, they are fewer and farther between than we’d like to admit. The flow state where we reach our <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/blog/3-productivity-habits-of-successful-people">peak productivity</a>? We don’t spend enough time there, which is why we spend so many of our off-the-clock hours with our minds on work issues.

Giving 100 percent at work isn’t easy. It takes practice to work through the discomfort of coming up against a challenge instead of giving in to the lure of a “mental break” by stepping out or switching tasks. <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/blog/7-ways-to-develop-daily-discipline">It takes discipline</a> to dive into the heart of your work instead of procrastinating with email for hours on end. The payoff, however, is worth it. When you learn to commit yourself to giving your all at work, it suddenly becomes a whole lot easier to do the same in your personal life.

<a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/8-ways-to-be-more-mindful-at-work">Working mindfully</a> and without distraction can give us permission to enjoy our home life more. We can leave work at the door if we’ve given our all at work, because we know we can attack any unfinished business with renewed energy and focus the next day. We aren’t leaving our workday with <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/stop-feeling-guilty-about-work-life-balance">feelings of guilt</a> that pull us back, because if you haven’t wasted your time, there is nothing to feel guilty about.

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<h3 class="rtecenter">When it is time to work, work. When it is time for family, be present with them.</h3>

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Even for those of us who don’t work conventional 9-to-5 jobs, making the switch from work to personal can still be made easier by being mindful and focused during our designated work time. Instead of checking email every hour, I can give myself a few predetermined times per day to get it all out of the way. When I am <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/how-to-survive-working-from-home">working from home</a>, I can lock my office door, eschew the urge to “check in” on everyone and get down to business.

When it is time to work, work. When it is time for family, be present with them. We should always be going all in, no matter the task. <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/why-mindfulness-is-the-ultimate-habit-for-success">Giving more mindfulness</a> to all areas of our lives makes them more fulfilling—and easier to switch off when the time comes.

Related: <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/top-of-mind-7-tips-for-a-healthy-work-life-balance">7 Tips for a Healthy Work-Life Balance</a>

When you’re at work, work. When you’re with family, be present there, too.

When you’re at work, work. When you’re with family, be present there, too. | SUCCESS

How to Leave Work at the Door

How to Leave Work at the Door | SUCCESS

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