MM: Stretched Thin? Take A Good Look In the Mirror 04/25/16 | Tristen Coffee So how are you doing on that to-do list, that big project, and that pile of things to get done by the end of the week– feeling a little buried already? Have you already transformed into the stressed-to-the-max version of yourself from the fun relaxed weekend version of you? Have you lost sight of who you really are in the midst of the chaotic workdays surrounding you? Too often we loose sight of who we really are in the midst of our work due to the enormous tasks standing in front of us. We don’t take time for self-development because we can’t imagine stretching ourselves any thinner. The funny thing is when we take the time to develop our own sense of self we suddenly have more of ourselves to give and a renewed sense of purpose to infuse into our work. But what in the world is this “knowing yourself” mumbo-jumbo about? First, Take a good look in the mirror, because you might have actually forgotten who you are. When was the last time you made time to intentionally identify what your natural talents, inclinations, and passions are? We aren’t talking about what you’ve gotten good at or what you want to be good at, or the things that are hot topics in today’s world– but the things that effortlessly come to you. Now, ask yourself– “Am I utilizing these talents and passions to the fullest in my work?” If you're not, you might try and creatively incorporate them into your work or make time for them outside of work. We promise that doing this will give you a new sense of fulfillment. Secondly, we ask you– what goals do you have? Or have you set any lately? If this is a hard question for you, you might want to brush off the dust from those old goals and breathe some life into them again. Goals are a huge part of who we are, they are the first step to imagining the future and preparing ourselves for success– so don't let that long to-do list get in the way. We wrote another blog post on goal-setting if you need some help! Feeling like you know yourself a little bit better now? Hopefully so, but don’t loose sight of it. Sit down and create your “brand’s” motto. It should be short and to the point, encapsulating who you are and where you want to go. Maybe it’s: “Encourage others, Get results”. But whatever it is, repeat it often. So there you are. Can you begin to see yourself again amidst the chaos? Good, now go conquer that workday.