Set a Bar to Increase Your Engagement
What kind of progress do you think a pole-vaulter would make if he always practiced by vaulting into a pad, without setting a bar? This is the analogy that Dr. Majeres, a co-founder of Optimal Work, uses to describe the way many of us approach our daily work. We work away, hour by hour, without setting concrete quantitative and qualitative outcomes to challenge ourselves.
Just as a pole-vaulter improves his personal best by practicing with the bar set just above his current record, we too can grow by “setting the bar” before we begin a task. By setting a challenge for ourselves we can make our work more meaningful and interesting. Without defining a challenge, we work on auto-pilot and are more likely to succumb to distractions. We are like the pole-vaulter who vaults into the mat with no bar to jump over.
After completing four days of the Optimal Work Master Class, I have found the content and practices resourceful toward increasing my engagement and effectiveness at work. You can learn more about the course here.
While setting quantitative challenges, like reading a chapter of a book in 45 minutes instead of in an hour, can lead to growth, Dr. Majeres recommends looking for qualitative challenges to drive our development. For example, we might aim to read the chapter with greater retention or with greater curiosity, taking the time to write out our questions. Here are a few other qualitative challenges that come to mind for me:
Giving greater attention and good will during conversations
Practicing enjoying the process of writing as I work on The Good Leaven Letter
Categorizing important emails into more useful, specific folders
Working with greater focus, being fully present to the task at hand
Keeping my heart open to God’s presence as I work
This week, I invite you to ask yourself:
In what areas of my life am I showing up like the pole-vaulter who practices with no bar? In which one of these would “setting the bar” make the biggest impact? What will my bar be? That is, what meaningful, qualitative challenge will I set for myself to upgrade my practice?
God Bless,
Dan
