11. IN the search of growth...

11.


Signing a new employment contract? Try signing one with yourself too.

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This is quite unconventional - I know. But in my opinion, it is also fun.

When we sign an employment contract, we agree to certain responsibilities. It is clear what we will need for someone else, a company, or role.But what if we also took the opportunity to sign a personal contract with ourselves? It is a way to set clear intentions and commit to our well-being.

I have created personal contracts several times, especially when working for myself as this is when it is easiest to break our own promises. It has also helped me when I have been in doubt if I should take on a project or not.

• What commitment will I make that is truly to my own benefit? It can be anything like ‘I will do what needs to be done, even if it is scary' or ‘I will try to be myself, no matter what’.
• How will I create a healthy work-life balance for myself? It is so much easier to protect time when we are clear what we are protecting, f.ex.  ‘I keep my weekend for my family’ or ‘My Friday evenings are for me’.
• How will I hold myself consistent? We know what happens if we stop going to work. But what happens if we break the promises to ourselves consistently? We build resentment. First towards the circumstances and then, against ourselves.
• How will I reward myself? As many - once I achieve something meaningful to me or stay consistent with myself, instead of truly celebrating, I tend to rush over to the next hill. Rewarding ourselves, however, is simply a must. If not us, then who?
  
  

We so often sacrifice our boundaries for a number of factors; but this helps no one in the long run.
​At the end of the day, the one person we must stay loyal to is ourselves.

This seems a bit like writing personal goals or intentions, though.
    Yes. So next time you write your performance goals at work…