Be Puppy-Like in Your Approach

This morning I walked to an appointment in very winter-in-Seattle-like rain, which is rare here in Southern California. A man sauntered towards me while holding the leash of a three-month old German Shepherd. The puppy was bounding back and forth and up and down at the sidewalk like a caffeinated Tigger. At one point the puppy spied a big puddle where the sidewalk and street met. I could see his glee as he bounced from the sidewalk and landed with a big splash, a smile spreading across his adorable puppy face. Seeing his enthusiasm brought me joy, but it also made me realize how great our lives would be if we approached our circumstances and our work with that same unbridled passion and happiness. 

When was the last time you feel completely jazzed and alive in your work? We often approach work like its drudgery. We created countless to-do lists and zero-sum calendars. We feel stressed seeing hundreds of e-mails in our inboxes or when we receive too many marketing messages through LinkedIn. We hold ourselves accountable, which is a good thing, unless we are overburdening ourselves to the point we are stressing ourselves out. 

Think for a moment about your biggest projects and to-dos. Maybe it is finding a way to get more clients and to do more marketing, maybe it is finishing a big recording or a manuscript or something to fulfill a client's needs. Then ask yourself how much of your anxiety, the pressure you feel, and the sense of urgency is actually self-created. In sales and in entrepreneurship, some people believe that creating a manufactured sense of urgency helps them reach their goals and to perform better (at a higher level). 

But the fact is, creating stress creates many negative health and psychological effects, such as raised blood pressure, confusion, depression, and sleeplessness, to name a few. Stress has even been linked to impaired strategic thinking. If we let go of the self-created stress, the mindset of urgency and go-go-go and approach our work like we would play, we feel more joy and help those around us feel happier or more joyful too. 

Last week, I was required to interview 12 people for a single article. I could have approached the assignment with a "crap, this is a lot" attitude and plowed my way through it., devoid of  joy. Instead, I thought it an honor to get to meet a dozen new people and find out about their lives. (After all, I believe that almost every interaction in life can be an opportunity.) I had a blast talking on the phone to some of them, bantering and joking over e-mail for those who preferred that means of communication, and the whole process reminded me of why I love the work that I do. It is engaging and it is my intention to remain fully present and engaged. 

Many people seek self-employment because they want to follow their passions, work from anywhere or everywhere, be their own bosses, set their own hours, and maybe do a variety of things to make not just a living but a life. They go into the work full of enthusiasm and drive, but somewhere along the way, they may get derailed and work may start to feel like have-tos and a bunch of check-the-boxes.

That's a difference between dogs and humans. My cattle dog knows innately that his job is herding. It's his favorite thing to do and he does it with zeal (even when we'd rather him not nip at houseguests' ankles). The job is never horrible to him; he treats it as a game with the same zest he had as a pup even though he's almost 12. 

He and the puddle-splashing puppy are great reminders to maintain my enthusiasm, to treat even what some people could perceive as obstacles as opportunities, and to embrace everything life has to offer, with no fear, no manufactured stress or urgency, and with a lot of love. 

Marilyn Monroe said, "We should all start to live before we get too old. Fear is stupid. So are regrets." It's time to tap into your puppy-self and find a puddle to pounce.