As you face an upcoming day filled with potential challenges and opportunities, you might find yourself lacking the usual enthusiasm and energy. Perhaps a restless night's sleep and a series of minor setbacks, such as spilling your coffee or gloomy weather, have left you feeling a bit off-kilter. When confronted with a lack of energy or an overwhelming workload, it can be emotionally draining. Conversely, aligning everything just right can make you feel unstoppable. So, how can you transform a potentially challenging day into one that propels you forward?
Optimizing Your Best Day with Your Strengths
Research by Tao Liu and colleagues from Southwest Jiaotong University (2023) suggests that your best days occur when you fully engage your strengths. However, there's a caveat: relying solely on your strengths may pose a problem. The "strength-based" approach to workplace performance research indicates that depending exclusively on known strengths might hinder the exploration of creative options. Over-reliance on strengths without incorporating imaginative solutions may keep you stuck in a routine.
Maximizing your strength without relief can potentially diminish creativity and become draining. If you anticipate exhaustion by the end of the day, the prospect of pouring all your strength into work may dampen your excitement. The key is to redirect your strengths toward activities that emotionally and intellectually engage you, creating a state known as "flow." In this state, as proposed by the late Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, people become immersed in their work, unaware of their surroundings, and experience heightened creativity. Additionally, cultivating gratitude towards your organization can further enhance your ability to enter the flow state, preventing the feeling of monotony.
Testing the Model of Innovation
To validate their innovation model based on a combination of gratitude towards the organization (GTO), strength utilization, and flow, Liu and the research team conducted a study with employees from a Chinese engineering construction company. The results indicated that on days when workers reported experiencing both flow and GTO, they were more likely to apply their strengths to innovative behavior, leading to increased job satisfaction.
A 1-2-3 Approach to Energizing Your Day
To energize your day, consider incorporating the following elements of strength, use, flow, and gratitude:
1. Envision Creativity: Picture yourself being as creative as possible. Break away from the routine by exploring new perspectives on your daily tasks.
2. Cultivate Flow: View your daily activities as opportunities for engrossment rather than monotony. Create inspiring phrases that resonate with you.
3. Express Gratitude: Focus on positive aspects of what your organization does to support you. Even on challenging days, start with an optimistic outlook.
In conclusion, while your strengths remain essential, leveraging them to the fullest requires a conscious effort. By beginning each day on a positive note, you can transform fulfilling days into fulfilling lives.
Reference:
Liu, T., Lu, S., Ma, J., & Mao, Y. (2023). Apply your strengths to enjoy flow at work: A diary study on the relationship between strengths use and innovative behavior Journal of Happiness Studies: An Interdisciplinary Forum on Subjective Well-Being. DOI:10.1007/s10902-023-00696-6
For more information, contact Chris at 408-915-1321 or email at apathtorecovery.cp@gmail.com
Chris Packham, MSW, LAADC, M-RAS, CCDS, CADTP VI
