Yes, you heard that right.. You may be habitually blindsided and blasè-d* at work and not know it.

This is probably the mother of all symptoms we exhibit, while going through our grind, on and on, pretty much like the Duracell bunny 😀.

To stress this nature of ours is why I extensively talk about work and flow^.

Have you realized the difference between working “work” versus making “work” flow?

These are two completely different paradigms and states of mind even.

Why does this matter?

Because most of us unknowingly / knowingly get caught up in our own deluge of “work” and seldom introspect or recalibrate. This then manifests into an illusion of doing something versus actually delivering impact / value.

This illusion starts affecting productivity and more often clouds one’s ability to perform better or lead better, lurking unawares.

It also curbs lateral or creative thinking and significantly reduces your impact-ability, once such thought fatigue sets in.

How / when does this matter?

1. When you are caught up in the safety of routine (routine schedule, routine actions, routine thoughts, and routine environment)
2. When you fret more about transactional performance (getting the transaction right instead of thinking about the broader picture)
3. When you stop asking questions
4. When you prefer status quo over change
5. When you no longer seem to have time for anything

How do we then get out of this pattern?

1. Break Routine. Routine (in this context) kills creativity
2. Always worry about the big picture. What you are doing today has to have a larger scheme of things, if not, it’s probably worth rewiring.
3. Asking questions is the best way to keep your focus sharp. This should be a ritual
4. How do you influence a change? Another pertinent question to take to bed every night
5. Become choosy, on what and how you would want to spend your time. Time is the only equal opportunity provider and does not discriminate

These are some angles I choose to seriously  introspect and course correct every now and then.

What do you do?

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* blasè – a seldom used / seen word, but I loved the meaning it lends to this context (blasè meaning – unimpressed with or indifferent to something because one has experienced or seen it so often before)

^ i have introduced the concept of work and flow earlier in this article

° Pic description – reusing an old pic of my son who has half his face painted during a school fair. I am using this to show that we carry within us atleast 2 shades of people, one better than the other and relating it to the context of this article – of questioning our true selves.