I’ve recently discovered that there are a lot of parallels between having a new job and a new puppy. Weren’t expecting that combo? Let me explain.
Both making doing yoga in the morning hard. And both benefit from a lot of training. In some instances when they get a hold of you just right, both have sharp teeth that bite. Not to mention that both are really busy, and they come with benefits.
The good news I’ve found is that some of the same strategies work on both new jobs and puppies.
Like write it down. There’s a lot of great ideas and material that come with newness. Whether it’s a blog post, journal entry, a to-do list, or remind-me-to-never-do-this-again list, it helps to order the chaos that comes with puppies and jobs.
And that leads to the next one. Both puppies and new jobs unsettle the routine. And by unsettle I mean obliterate, but in a friendlier way. The great thing about that is that it opens an intentionality about what you want to land when it all quiets down. We’ve seen the research about how hard it is to change habits. But get a puppy and new job, and you’ve open up all sorts of opportunities to get out of the ruts that have previously held you firm.
Here’s the one that I’ve really found useful. It’s all about finding the right thing to chew on. When my mind feels too full of the new job stuff, I have to give it something else to chew on. Usually yoga or meditation. And when the puppy feels too full of energy, I give it something to chew on. Like a dog toy.
Here’s a picture of my new puppy. Not the new job. Because it’d be weird to take a picture of a new job, right?
What are the unlikely combos that have taught you something in your life?
I’ve posted a companion piece on my personal blog: Silence. I’m calling that a companion piece just because it’s just something that I haven’t experienced a lot of lately.
Please check out these other items of interest:
More about Wynne Leon and the personal journey to become a single mom, writer and speaker
Workshop about cultivating resilience through creativity that I delivered with Dr. Vicki Atkinson
Speaking and workshops on how to use creativity to spark innovation, problem-solving and strong teams
Podcast about the how and why of creativity
Resources for corporate creativity
Corporate needs assessment for cultivating team creativity
Individual survey for stoking the creative fire
You can find me on Instagram and Twitter @wynneleon
(featured photo from Pexels)