Ep. 18 - I See You

Most of us have to go to work every day. Super big bummer. But maybe a better way through, is to look for the moments in your day that light you up or make you feel more connected with your other fearless 9-5 warriors. What lights you up at work? Let me know!

Transcript

Tara 0:04

This is It's Only in Trying, a weekly podcast about the beautiful messiness of becoming. So I've been thinking a lot about work lately, which gross, I hate that. But I've been thinking about it in the context of like, how do I fit it into my real life instead of my real life fitting into work? We all have to have a job. Super big bummer, but here we are. And I had an instance this week which I was like, oh, work doesn't have to just be about work. It can be also a place where I focus on a true passion, which I've discovered, and that is supporting other women in their pursuit of climbing the corporate ladder, getting what they deserve, talking about their feelings, and being fully present throughout their entire day at work, at home, and how the cycle of each talking to each other can make your life better or more difficult. So the example is I was having a conversation with someone trying to pass off a type of project, and she said, This is great. Thank you so much for your help. But I've been being told for about three months that taking this on would come with a promotion or some type of monetary increase. Great. But the thing that also came out was that we as women so often feel icky asking for money because we think you should just see what I'm doing. I should be rewarded for the hard work I'm putting in. I shouldn't have to ask you. But I think unfortunately, that mindset of feeling icky about asking for money is actually what's keeping us stuck and not asking for the money. And so I was able to talk her through here's what you do. You can say this in a really nice, calm way that doesn't make you feel gross. Take this thing and say, this is all tied up with a bow. I'd really love to implement it, however, I'd like to first have a discussion regarding my compensation or a promotion. If for some reason that that's not possible right now, who can I pass this off to that you believe does have capacity or is looking for growth opportunities? That way you're not just saying no to work and you're still offering to be helpful, but you're also advocating for yourself. And just this communication made me feel so much better about being at work that day. It wasn't just punching a clock, it wasn't just finishing a project. I got to work with somebody on a project, but also figure out how to get them to a better point in their life so that they could just generally be happier. And it felt so good. So I think my next step is that I'm gonna keep looking for these opportunities that make me light up at work and doing more of it. Because again, we have to work, most of us. So I'm gonna try and make it a little bit more enjoyable, and I am gonna figure out ways to continue to support all of the people that I work with and care about a little bit at a time. If you've had a moment recently where you felt lit up at work or were able to help a coworker and it felt like just so good, it made you feel like the workday wasn't a waste, let me know. I'd love to hear about it. I'd love to have a bunch of comments regarding what we as coworkers can do to make our days a little bit more meaningful. So thanks for listening. I hope you find a moment in your work week next week that lights you up. And as always, just remember you're doing better than you think.