Intent: In the workplace, daily living, and beyond!

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What was your workday like? If you reflect upon your workday, do you find yourself relating to words like monotony, daydreaming, or impatience? Do you sometimes feel like a cog in the machine, just going, going, and going, until one day you break? Having been in the bodywork business for over 12 years, even I start zoning out around 3:00, thinking about what I’m making for dinner and how my evening commute is going to go. The moments that I snap out of it are what lead me back to my original purpose/intent. More specifically, working with intent.

Just like a dance without emotion or cooking without that little bit of love, working without intent will leave you desiring more in your day-to-day life and will separate you from the people that are consciously working with a purpose. Have you ever gone to a restaurant and had the most entertaining, social waitress that just made your night? How did you feel? And have you ever gone out to a restaurant and almost felt like you were being a burden on your waitress? How did that make you feel?

If you’re in the service industry, your clients can tell if you’re just going through the motions and not giving them that personalized attention they crave and deserve. This ripple effect may cause them to go elsewhere, affecting not only your reputation but your income as well.

No matter what field you’re in, putting intent in your communications, performance, and organization will not only eliminate some drudgery from your 9-5 but will also improve your self-esteem and create a different energetic vibration around you. You know — that one coworker who’s always brimming with ideas, making others smile, the guy that everyone knows they can count on? That person might HATE their job, but they still put intention behind what they do and how they do it. Who knows? This kind of thinking might propel them right into their dream job.

Here are some suggestions for reconnecting with your intent. When you start going back into robot mode or having a case of the Mondays, fall back to your answers for some of these questions:

-Is my job taking care of my financial needs? What would happen if I didn’t have this job?

-In terms of performance, how would I evaluate myself? Where are areas I know I could improve?

-At the end of the day, am I proud of my work ethic, my effort, and my overall performance?

-Is there anything I could do right now to improve my clients/patients experience?

-Because I value the fact that another person is spending money on my services, do I feel that I’m offering quality work?

-Do I ever feel guilty during or after work? If so, why?

-What was the original reason I went into this line of work? Do I still get some satisfaction or joy from it?

Putting intention behind your efforts will elevate you to a higher level of being. Your performance will show it, your coworkers will notice it, and your day-to-day grind may feel somewhat lighter and more rewarding. You’ll begin to notice the subtle nuances like a man’s smile after his drink is poured, or the ease of everyone leaving on time at the end of a long shift that makes the quality of your day feel more gratifying.

That little bit of extra effort on your part may give your client the relief they need after a hard week, or take the pressure off a manager whose job may be on the line. Your actions may feel minuscule in your mind, but the power they generate is limitless. So, the next time you catch yourself dreaming about pizza and TV binge-watching, reconnect to the present moment. What you do right then and there truly matters.

Jessica York is a Nationally Certified Massage Therapist and Instructor with over 12 years in the industry and is currently part of the team at Glow Birmingham Spa and Salon. Contact her at 586-344-3113 or email: clevercommentary@gmail.com

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