The Power of Autonomy
It’s 9:54pm on bank holiday Monday.?
For the first time in a long time I have the Sunday (OK, the Monday) Scaries.
I suffer from it far less now I work for myself but I don’t think anyone’s completely immune. It creeps up every now and again although luckily for me I’ve done enough work (think therapy/coaching etc) to be able to recognise where that feeling is coming from and can often (not always) do something to address it.?
The usual triggers for me since launching my business tend to fall into 3 categories.?
Work being too busy- Can’t get up for air
Work being too quiet- I’m going to lose my house?
Work requiring me to do a long list of things I just don’t want to do- “I don’t wanna, Wah wah wah”
Fortunately I have the autonomy to change any one of those things.
Work too busy-Set expectations with my clients or starting saying no…still an alien concept ??
Work too quiet-Get back in the business development saddle and see what I can rustle up
Work requiring me to do a long list of things I just don’t want to do- Don’t do them ?? OK that’s not always an option but by prioritising the important stuff and outsourcing/ delegating anything less urgent then my workload becomes far more manageable.?
I’m sat here, either side of writing this, having a think about what I can change this week to tame it a little. It’s looking less scary already.?
A study conducted by the University of Birmingham in 2017 into workplace culture found that employees with higher levels of autonomy in their work reported positive effects on their overall well-being and higher levels of job satisfaction.
The freedom to work in a way that works for me was exactly what I wanted when I started the business and whilst sometimes I need to be reminded that I have more control than I think, being able to affect change is a HUGE win.
Not everyone reading this will be so lucky. But, you too have more control than you think.?
If the Sunday Scaries creep up on you on a weekly basis make sure you’re giving yourself time to think about the changes you could be making to ensure they…for want of a better expression…fuck off. If you can’t do it alone, speak with your colleagues, peers, managers.?
And if you can’t do that. If you don’t have supportive colleagues, supportive peers, supportive managers then, well, remember this. You’re not a tree…so move ??
The End.
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A helpful reminder that I needed to read this morning - thank you!
Business Change Manager | PROSCI, MSP, PRINCE2, Agile certified | Bringing an adaptable and people focussed approach to planning and delivering change | I add "sparkle" | Alcatraz Escapee | Ironman Finisher
9 个月John Hawker good post John! I also read once that in the spirit of mindfulness you should not focus on Monday until it is Monday! Just enjoy Sunday.