During half term you might hear this phrase, “I’m bored.”
I remember when I complained of boredom as a kid, I’d hear… “Only boring people get bored…” or “Go outside and find something to do…” Upon which my parents would get our bikes out the shed and tell us to go and create some momentum! They knew that staying inside was just not going to cut it.
Now, many years on… I see a new generation getting ‘bored’ AND it’s not just my kids!! It’s happening in business too! And, ironically, our environment is actually reshaped by those who refuse to be bored!
I guess a job or career will eventually create restlessness when you lose sight of why you started. The meaning gets lost in the madness.
Being bored bites.
Being bored in business is a result (more often than not) from not doing the thing that sets you alight. You’ve ended up doing the boring bits as you began to recruit and delegate.
Boring is a trap. It slows you down and bites hard if you don’t address it. Vision fades and people leave as they can no longer see what they are supposed to build. ‘Next’ looks more attractive than ‘now’.
Boring does not bode well.
Staying in one place without changing but rather ‘maintaining’ for long periods kills that sense of adventure. Those on the journey with you find other comrades and people choose to save and spend their resources elsewhere. What hurts you in the heart eventually hits you in the pocket.
Being bored bothers.
It affects everyone. Negativity spreads like a cancer. It steals the joy out of any season and removes a positive perspective.
As a leader, what bothers you most is when nobody’s bothered. Being bored is regression, it’s not the attitude needed to conquer recession!
So, what’s the good news? Well, there is an answer! You have to stop the drift. Don’t drift from what you care about.
The way through demands action.
Go from bored to bucket.
In those long summers (wasted on the young) the bored got business-like. Me, I took a bucket and washed cars. Entrepreneurship was born out of a boredom crisis. We offered a great service (outside of the car £5, outside and inside £10). We didn’t have much equipment, just a bucket and a sponge. Our customers paid for our labour. Oh, but it filled me up! What fills you up?
Go from bored to boom.
You wake up when you know what to say yes to, then it is easier to say no! In other words, delegate those boring tasks to someone who enjoys them. Make sure you are using your superpower. Clear the desk, take the time, invest in you and get it done. Entrepreneurs give others the opportunity to show off their skills, talents and abilities. I love it.
Go from bored to brand.
Don’t allow your brand to be boring. Our branding process is world class. Our Purpose Playbook establishes a narrative and a Creative Strategy to make sense of your story. You’ll have a clear message and it is that clarity that brings confidence flooding back or, at the very least, alignment in your assignment! Reinventing is reinvigorating! It has stopped companies who were wanting to close, helping them to close more deals instead.
Being bored is a symptom of losing sight of what matters most. Leading from the heart got forgotten in the midst of intimidating circumstances. We can help you to rediscover purpose and then help you double down on it.
I will always promote purpose, whether it’s through building a brand or an impactful software solution, developing the leader by becoming a happier, healthier, smarter and kinder human, or even connecting people to make their dream happen through networking.
Why? Purpose remove excuses. Purpose pulls you, you don’t need to be pushed. When you listen to each of our Podcast Guests on The Purpose People Podcast you’ll hear how, rather than being bored, they decided to become something…
Become all they wanted to be.
Become a voice for positive change.
Become a power to help others.
Stop being bored and start being interested again. Boring people stay bored, purposeful people prioritise change!
In the current climate, what we are coming out of has seemed like an endless cycle and struggle for survival, but hope is returning. So, even if we are not yet where we want to be, the change can start with us.