Change Your Mindset and Be “That” Person
I feel like every year I tell myself I want to be an even better person than I was the year before. Bettering ourselves is never a bad thing. No one is perfect, that is a fact. Even those whom we envy and look up to have their flaws.
There will always be times we think to ourselves “I wish I could be more like them”. In business, in our personal lives, with our health, even our own personal motivation. Especially with social media being so prominent.
Although there is this mass movement right now of people sharing their “flaws” and “imperfections”, and showing the world their lives aren’t so perfect, we all share the more glamourous and appealing sides to ourselves more often than anything else.
Having a goal and sharing your progress is highly encouraging to the rest of us wishing and wanting and not quite doing so yet. But it truly can be the little things we don’t post about and do, without expecting a thank you (even though they are very nice to hear). The itty bitty tasks we can do that helps someone else’s day, even in the slightest.
A lot of it comes down to mindset as well. The approach we take to certain matters can change our entire outlook on the task at hand.
“I get to”, not, “I have to”.
By changing one simple word, we can truly embrace certain tasks versus loathing them. By turning “I have to” into “I get to” can make such a huge difference. “I get to vacuum my house” at least we have homes to vacuum. “I get to go to work”. I have been without a job and it sucked. I am not one of those people who can sit idol. I love a break and a vacation, but I have to stay busy and work helps with that. Even “I get exercise” can help remind you of your abilities versus struggling with something such as disabilities and worrying about pain or a challenge.
Fill the kettle at the office for everyone else. To the top, not a selfish amount. Replace the milk bag. Fill the sugar container.
These super simple tasks can make someone’s entire day. It can be super annoying to go into the kitchen to make a tea or a coffee and the machine is empty…again! I tend to do these tasks when I am waiting for something to heat up in the microwave. I have that minute to kill, might as well make myself useful. Even if a coworker wants to chat, you can do these things at the same time. And with any luck, people will notice you doing this and adapt this behavior themselves. You’re all a team and working together. Why not also team up on the mundane, forgotten tasks?
Leave it better than you found it. Wipe the counter after you wash your hands in the bathroom.
I first heard of this from an influencer on Instagram as she told this lovely little story about seeing a woman doing this in a public bathroom. They made eye contact and the woman said to her “Better leave it better than I found it”. This truly struck a cord with me. I don’t know how or why it happens, but in public bathrooms, water tends to get all over the counter and people just leave it there… how? Why? Huh? We would never do this in our own homes, so why on Earth are we allowing ourselves to do this in public settings? After I wash my hands, with the paper towel I am already using, I wipe any water away from the surrounding counters. It is so simple and easy and I can leave the room not looking like a slob.
Little polite habits that won’t go unnoticed.
Hold the door open for someone. Smile at someone in public as they pass you by. Say “Have a nice day” as someone leaves the office. This may shock you, but people notice these things. While we live in an overly busy and distracted world, manners have become a lost skill. People recognize the charm in manners that has lacked over the past few years, especially during a world pandemic that has taught us selfishness is a way of protecting ourselves. Personally, I am over it and embrace all the manners I can show and receive.
Doing nice things for others is something to be praised, but that praise should not be sought after. If someone can’t do something simply out of the goodness of their heart without publicly exploiting it, would they have ever done it if social media didn’t exist? I try to do things in my day to day life that people will never hear about. Except for my husband, I blab everything to him. I encourage people to be kinder, more wholesome, and practice their manners more in this wild world we are all sharing and living in together.
Melanie xoxox