I remember it well. Too well, coming back from holidays in the car with my parents and sisters all those years ago when someone would say, “it’s back to school again next week.” , i.e. the fun stops now and it’s time to get serious.
As we adults are all just little kids in bigger bodies, it can feel very similar as we return after the summer break. Most of us get a wave (or even tsunami) of melancholy when faced with that ‘back to work’ feeling. Despite all of the LinkedIn jabber about ‘passion’ for work most of us would frankly rather be on vacation, or at least for a few more days… wouldn’t you?
So come on friends, how can we get ourselves back into it for the new term? Just like a new set of pens or a new rucksack for school it could be that we all need a few psychological triggers to ease us back in.
Here’s my little plan.
New music on Spotify. I’m branching out musically hoping that some new sounds will stimulate some new thoughts and feelings. I’m going to be listening to the complete Gil Scott-Heron discography (properly) for the first time ever. It’s time to shake up some neurological patterns.
Caffeine is out. The time has come to make the definitive switch from coffee to herbal teas. It’s going to be good for the soul and if not, it will certainly be good for the nerves and sleeping.
Early starts. This is a hardy perennial. I’m not talking loony gym sessions at 04:30am, but if I wake up early, which I often do, I reckon I should start working earlier and free up some late afternoon time for other ‘stuff’.
More talk, less texting. WhatsApp, Slack and all the rest of our tech apps are great for practical, swift exchange but they can be lousy for the meaningful sense that comes from real, elastic and bendy human conversations, the ones when you can hear what people are saying and what they’re not. So my new term policy means a cut back on all that flying thumb and forefinger keyboard action. And maybe a few less of these??!! 😀 🙌🌱☀️☕️
I’ve just realised that this list reads a lot like a set of New Year resolutions. Perhaps that’s because for us professionals September is our January which I guess makes our January everyone else’s April. Which means that April is what then?
Anyway. The point is, it’s September now and we’re all getting back to work, so let’s have some fun, try some new things and enjoy it. That’s when the best, most creative work happens and that’s what fires us up at DMA.
All the best and let us know if you have some ideas of your own to get the energy pumping!