Enthusiasm In Business

vs. apathy

Expressing interest and excitement in what I do

To practice Enthusiasm I will:

• put my whole heart into what I do
• smile to inspire others
• be an eager giver
• treat every job as important
• not be discouraged by failure

“Be Enthusiastic, Dahling!”

I have a quote from Mary Kay Ash displayed in my home office. It says, “Anything you can vividly imagine, ardently desire, sincerely believe and enthusiastically act upon you will achieve.” This quote has helped me overcome many roadblocks in the past. If I can’t get fired up about something it doesn’t matter what I imagine. If I’m not setting goals and making plans and checking things off to-do lists, it doesn’t matter what I desire. And if I’m not talking about a project and finding ways to link it to other things I’m doing, then it doesn’t matter what I believe. Enthusiasm and excitement have helped me succeed more than my talent or skills.

I use my enthusiasm meter to determine if I’m involved in something I shouldn’t be. Did I say ‘yes’ when I should have said ‘no’? Did this used to be something I was excited about but now it no longer carries the same importance? Is this now an energy-draining activity instead of an energy-giving one? By answering these questions, I can determine if this activity is aligned with my goals and adjust.

As I learned to listen to my enthusiasm meter, I started to use it in helping to make decisions before getting involved in something. I think about how my gut reacts to the request. Is there immediate enthusiasm, a feeling of lightness or a feeling of obligation or dread? Through the years I’ve learned that if my heart isn’t in it, then it’s better for someone else to take it on. Understanding this has helped relieve the guilt in saying ‘No’.

Sometimes, when I notice my enthusiasm waning on a project or task that I don’t have the option of quitting, I try to reframe it to regain my momentum. Perhaps it is looking at the mundane as a steppingstone to a higher goal. If I exercise today, I won’t be a burden to my children later. Sometimes I create little challenges like setting the timer on my phone to see how fast I can unload the dishwasher. When all else fails, pull out the goofy. I remember a time when the girls were little, and I was trying to motivate them to pick up toys. We put on our finest “dress-ups” complete with feather boas. As we picked up toys, we had to describe it in our “highbrow” accents which required words like “dahling” and “mauvalous”. It certainly wasn’t the fastest way to a clean playroom, but it got the job done with a grin.

This month, dust off the enthusiasm meter and see how high it will go!