Karl Edwards presents Working Matters

Tag: meaning

  • Quote to Consider: My Soul’s Deepest Cry

    quote-to-consider“I must create a system or be enslaved by another mans; I will not reason and compare: my business is to create.”

    William Blake

  • Loving Monday: Holiday Hangover

    loving_mondayBack at it after a long holiday weekend.

    Remind me where my desk is, please. What was I working on? And you are…?

    It’s so nice to have a four-day weekend. (I hope you got one!)

    Getting back into the swing of things can be a challenge. The key is to bring the benefits of any rest and relaxation you experienced over the holiday back to the office.

    When we leave the good feelings at home, we end up resenting the return to work.

    In other words we want a holiday hangover.

    But only if the break is a blessing that propels us forward and not an escape whose inevitable end depresses us.

    There’s another break coming up this week. If the Christmas break didn’t work well for you, is there something different you can do to make the New Year’s holiday different?

    What are three benefits you want to experience from the time off this week? Maybe reconnect with an old friend. Get some time to yourself. Read a book. Throw a party. Reflect on the lessons learned this last year.

    Next give yourself permission to pursue those three outcomes. Be intentional. Pick up the phone today. Make them happen. If an initial idea doesn’t pan out, then adjust it and try a modification.

    Finally, go back to work next week with a holiday hangover! Bring the blessings of the break back to work with you. Let the rest, reflections, and relationships spill over into the energy and enthusiasm that makes work rich and meaningful.

    Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

  • Finding Meaning in the Mean Time

    When we talk about “toughing out a tough job,” (our current podcast discussion series), we are not talking about passively enduring an awful situation until something better comes along.

    We’re talking about finding meaning in the mean time.

    We’re talking about making the time work for you instead of against you.

    We’re talking about taking control of the tough experience and creating as good an experience as possible.

    There are many good reasons to stay put in a less than ideal job situation.

    Two questions for you as we begin this discussion:

    1. Describe a situation where it would be wiser to stay put in a tough job situation.
    2. What is a goal you could set for yourself in such a situation where you would benefit regardless of the difficulties?

    Looking forward to hearing from you.

  • Wrapping up Podcast Series on Vocational Passion

    If you missed our podcast series on Vocational Passion, be sure to visit iTunes or Odeo and download all five conversations.

    It is surprisingly common to think that finding meaningful work is too much to ask. That we are not worthy of an energizing job where our contribution is welcomed and rewarded.

    We have got to change that assumption! It gives our bosses too much power in the employer-employee partnership. We assume that the company belongs to them more than to us. We assume that those with positions at the top of the organizational chart are somehow more entitled to a rich and meaningful career than we are.

    Such assumption need to end yesterday. Join me in designing creative alternatives for showing up alive and invested at work. Join the conversation.

  • Coping or Contribution?

    Do you ever have the feeling of time slipping through your fingers? Another year has gone, but you’re not quite sure where it went. New Year’s resolutions losing the fight for attention against a crowded list of deadlines, emergencies and other people’s agendas for you.

    Life will always be busy and complex to some degree. The question is whether you feel (more…)