How to Find (or Reignite) Your Inspiration
After a year like none other, feeling inspired and motivated takes hard work. Interim Chief Operating Officer Alison Flynn Gaffney walks us through how to find and reignite inspiration and motivation.
By Alison Flynn Gaffney | 3 minutes
Connecting with each other has always been a priority for me and this year we鈥檝e had to reimagine (and imagine again) how we connect. After many conversations in fall 2020, my leaders suggested we create a forum to connect with all of our teams in a different way. Each month, we host 鈥淭eam Talks,鈥 with invited employees and leaders who share a story around a specific theme. In February鈥檚 鈥淭eam Talk鈥 we discussed inspiration and motivation.
There is a lot of connecting feeling inspired to less depression, less emotional exhaustion and more happiness. When we feel inspired by the work that we do and the people around us, it motivates us to be better in our personal and professional lives.
THREE TIPS TO FIND (OR REIGNITE) INSPIRATION
1. PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR OWN HEALTH
I got into health care because I want to be a catalyst for changing the world鈥攐ne person, one patient at a time. While the work we do in health care can provide a lot of fulfillment, it can also be emotionally draining when everyone else鈥檚 needs come before one鈥檚 own. I have learned over the years to set aside time for myself, refilling my own cup so I can be there for others. For our physical, mental, spiritual and emotional health, we must find ways to recharge so we鈥檙e ready for the challenges ahead.
Here is how I take care of my health, every day:
- Mental health: know when you need to step back, remember to breathe, or take an actual day off work. Be mindful of when you reach a point where you need that timeout.
- Emotional health: bring more joy into your life. For me, investing in emotional health means spending quality time with my family. We started putting away our electronic devices for two hours each day to spend time together without distractions.
- Physical health: care for your body. You don鈥檛 necessarily have to work out at the gym for hours a night, it could be meditation, going for a short walk or hike, or doing quick exercises for 10 minutes at home. Each movement counts and I am the most challenged by this one鈥攂ut I keep committing and moving forward!
Everyone on a team draws motivation from different sources鈥攆amily, personal hobbies, work鈥攁nd focusing on these three things can keep motivation levels high.
2. MEASURE YOUR OWN LEVELS OF INSPIRATION
It鈥檚 not always easy to feel motivated. We all have days when we don鈥檛 feel like we can give it 100%. When things get really tough, we might feel like we鈥檝e lost our inspiration completely. Our teams inspire me daily鈥攚hen I do not want to get out of bed I know someone is already here working hard on behalf of our patients and one another!
Try measuring your own inspiration (courtesy of Dr. Megan Call).
On a scale of 1 to 7 (1 being never, 7 being very often), how often do you feel鈥
- I experience inspiration
- Something I encounter inspires me
- I am inspired to do something
- I feel inspired
There isn鈥檛 a right or wrong score, but adding up the number on each question can give you an idea of how inspired you feel day to day. Self-reflection helps you understand where you are.
3. TRY BORROWING A HABIT OF HIGHLY INSPIRED PEOPLE
People who score highly on inspiration and creativity have certain similarities and traits. By incorporating those things in our life, we can reignite our own motivation levels.
OPENNESS TO NEW EXPERIENCES
This can mean different things, but for Dr. Call, it鈥檚 the ability for our brains to change and neural pathways to be disrupted. It can feel disconcerting, but it helps spark creativity.
The good news is that you can get these benefits without turning your life upside down. Even small things can create new experiences, like taking a new route home, exploring a place you鈥檝e never been, or having a conversation with someone you鈥檝e never talked to before. IT is a risk but I have found most well worth it.
MASTERING HARD WORK
People with high levels of inspiration and creativity have an intrinsic desire to master what they do. That doesn鈥檛 mean they are always perfect鈥攕ome days they show up and go through the motions, other days they excel鈥攂ut they look for ways to become better.
Stepping outside of your comfort zone to learn a new skill or pursue hobbies outside of work can help you build and strengthen hard work mastery. Remembering why you love the work you do, and the personal values it reinforces, can also help you stay the course.
PRACTICE OPTIMISM
Having a positive outlook can spark inspiration and intrinsic motivation. There are simple ways to foster a more optimistic view of the world:
- Reflecting on three things that went well at the end of each day. You can do it on your own, with your team, or with friends and family.
- Pausing for a 鈥溾 to recognize something that impresses you or takes your breath away. Set an alert on your phone as a helpful way to remember to pause.
- Expressing gratitude to others by taking time to say thank you.This is something I try to practice daily. Many times we think no one cares or someone already said thank you...I can tell you...that is not true! It is the simple and kind gestures that go the farthest.
- Play and laugh as part of your day. This is good for creativity and has lots of other mental health benefits. I am a goofball at heart and always will be, which my teams reminded me that I need to share my goofiness more often!
There are always things that happen to keep us on our toes, but as the poet Robert Frost said in Servant of Servants, 鈥淚 can see no way out but through.鈥 The best thing we can do is increase our inspiration and motivation along the way....and perhaps take a fellow human or two along with us.
THANK YOU TO THE TEAM TALKS CROSS-DISCIPLINARY TEAM
- Ischa Jensen
- Aaron Smith
- Carole Robinson
- Christian Horrocks
- Hillery Byrd
- Jan Arendtsen
- Kirk Hughs
- Rob Kistler
- Shelley Scott
QUICK GUIDE
Visit the Service Lines, Ancillary and Support Services to see past recorded Team Talks.
AFG'S "TEAM TALKS": BUILDING SOCIAL CAPITAL
We re-fashioned Grand Rounds into a platform I call 鈥淭eam Talk鈥 and the inaugural session was held December 16. I created 鈥淭eam Talk鈥 years ago at another organization as a forum for people to get to know me and I to get to know them. When I first arrived at 91麻豆天美直播, I held a number of 鈥淭eam Talks鈥 and have since adapted it to new needs.
Now, I host 鈥淭eam Talk鈥 for the 2,500+ employees in our health system鈥檚 Service Lines, Ancillary, Planning, and Support Services. It鈥檚 an hour, live streamed on Pulse, planned by a core group and rotating members of our teams. The time is reserved for taking care of ourselves, taking care of each other and a bit of fun. We were in part inspired by Dr. Megan Call鈥檚 article 鈥If Covid-19 is a marathon, how do I get to the finish line?鈥, so in 2021, we planned our 鈥淭eam Talks鈥 around themes to support us as we run this Covid-19 marathon. Each month, we invite employees and leaders to come tell their story that month around the assigned theme鈥攈appiness, gratitude, etc.
*Originally published April 30, 2021
CONTRIBUTOR
Alison Flynn Gaffney
Interim Chief Operating Officer, 91麻豆天美直播
