Working in Alignment
Why does it feel like we live to work? Like we’re always struggling to figure out what we want from life, what we want to do with our time, our skills, our dreams? And why does it feel like finding the answer is so damn difficult? Societal norms, peer pressure, expectations, and many other factors can so easily cloud our view and keep us from truly seeing it.
I have been focusing on this myself, and I think I am making progress. For me, it all started with the foundational question, “What kind of life do you want to live?”
This question made me stop and think. And think really hard. I have talked about it with my therapist, journaled about it, meditated on it, and I think I’ve found my answer. I have formed an image in my head of the kind of life I want to live, and I meditate on it daily.
This in turn prompted me to ask, “Is what you’re doing daily in alignment with that future?” And I think this was an even bigger time of reflection because I had to really drill down to the things I do on the daily and figure out what I needed to keep doing (what was in alignment with the future) and what I needed to stop (what was not in alignment with the future). Then I was able to see where I needed to start doing some things, replacing things that weren’t in alignment with things that were.
An example that comes to mind is how I got off social media last year. I realized that it was not in alignment with the life I want to live to sit for an hour (or three) and scroll Instagram, looking at gorgeous home offices and feeling tempted to impulse buy things I couldn’t justify at the time. So I deleted social media from my phone. It brought my focus back to what I do have, and in doing so, formed the habit of gratitude. Spending that hour a day meditating, journaling, and stretching is what I chose to go with instead of the scrolling. I bet I don’t have to tell you how much better I feel now. Not only is this in alignment with the life I want to live (and the person I want to be) but it also gives me a chance to grow daily. I end that hour with purpose, knowing what I need to do that day to take another step toward the future I am building.
All of this applies to work, and I think that is one of the most important things we can grasp. I suppose this is another way to talk about ikigai, which I’ve written about before. Because if we are able to find our ikigai and actually make that what we do for work, then we are in alignment with it. And from there, we are able to look forward to the horizon and decide the type of life we want to live. Our ikigai and walking in alignment with the vision we have of the future we want to build become the vehicle which takes us to that future.
By discovering our ikigai and knowing what we live for, we are able to work in flow and it becomes less of a struggle. We stop living to work, and we enjoy working and living. The freedom which comes from that can be life-changing, as it allows us to take our eyes off putting one foot in front of the other and to look toward that horizon where dreams live. That is working in alignment.
So right here, right now, ask yourself that question:
“What kind of life do you want to live?”
Take some time to think about it, and I highly recommend journaling about it. There’s something about journaling that clears my mind and helps me work through things in ways that talking about it or just thinking don’t really do. Because words and thoughts are gone after a moment if not written down, so it can be hard to reflect. But writing it out means taking time to articulate, and then we can go back through it later to help process everything.
Once you’ve answered that question, and you’ve got an image in your mind of what that life looks like, then you can look at what your work life does/does not do to get you closer to that life. I know it’s a lot, and it can be very anxiety-inducing to think about all of this, so be sure to take your time. And if you have a therapist or counselor, please discuss with them. Ultimately they want you to be your best self living your best life, so they will be able to help you navigate all of this and guide you.
I hope that this blog has opened up new possibilities in your mind and inspired you to explore them. They are limitless, and I know I’m not the only one who loses sight of that and needs to be reminded. Let this serve as your reminder.
As I have been walking this journey, I have created a tool in Notion that I’ve really enjoyed using, and so have the friends I’ve shared it with. It’s what I call an alignment dashboard, and it’s really helped me think through the various areas of my life and helped me focus on creating alignment where it’s needed. I’ll link it below if you want to take a look at it.
Thank you, as always, for spending time here with me. Until next time!
Alignment Dashboard: Notion Template
