Embrace Your Working Energy Style | Year of Living Lovely

I am a proud introvert. I am happy with who I am and I have embraced this side of my self, but it wasn’t until last Spring that I truly accepted my nature and my personal energy style when it comes to my ability to work. I quit a toxic job last year to take on blogging full-time and to work part-time at another office while I work on my photography business. To some of my family members, they were afraid I was going backwards. To them, all they saw was that I was working “less” for someone else and making less.

What they did not see was all the energy, happiness, and extra time I was earning instead. I was also working more than ever on my own business. No matter if you are an extrovert, introvert, or somewhere in between, embracing your energy style is the key to finding contentment at work and with yourself. 

My last job was toxic for many reasons, but the one unspoken truth I knew about that job was that it was not for me in the long run anyway. It was your stereotypical cold corporate environment and my desk was in the center of the room, surrounded by other offices with glass walls. There were people behind me and all around me all day. I was at work and working hard, but I am a very quiet and private person. It was a fast paced office. When lunch came around I felt like I was breaking out of a prison cell. The environment was exhausting for an introvert. It was an office bully that gave me the push to leave, but my life drastically improved when i started working to match my energy style. 

I started working part-time at a quiet law office. I have my mornings to myself to work on my own business, to relax, read, and do any number of activities I enjoy. When I work I still answer phones and sit at a front desk, but the pace is much slower and my desk is not surrounded by others in offices or running back and forth behind me. I have my own cozy cove to get work done. My commute is shorter so I make it home at a decent time every evening and my position is flexible, allowing me to take time off for photo shoots and travel. 

When I started out on my own last Spring I rediscovered some truths about myself. Although I work well with others, I am happiest and most productive when I work solo. I flourish in a quiet environment where my brain is able to be active and creative without outside noise. I do my best work in the late morning to the early afternoon. And I need plenty of quiet time every day to feel recharged. Your working energy style may be completely different than mine. The beauty about embracing your own energy style is that you become happier and your goals become more reachable. 

To discover your personal energy style, ask yourself these questions:

1. What time of day do you prefer to start work? Finish?

2. During what time of the day do you have the most amount of energy?

3. What time of day are you the most productive?

4. Do you enjoy working in large groups?

5. Do you prefer to work alone?

6. What types of activities make you feel the most recharged? 

7. What does your ideal working environment look like? 

8. Do you prefer to work in the same space, or travel out to mix things up?

There are no right or wrong answers, only what is right for you. Take these answers to sketch or write up your idea of a perfect work day. What time would you wake up? How would you spend your mornings? Which goals would you work on? Where? With whom? And how would you end your work day? 

This is your road map to create the best work environment for you. Perhaps there are some changes you can make right now to improve where you work today. Or maybe you will feel motivated to make even bigger changes. At the end of the day, if you are working against your nature, you are not going to be truly happy with your career.