There’s a chill in the air as we approach the end of the summer. Most of us are returning back to work with that familiar ‘back to school' feeling. Where we leave behind thoughts of time off and sunshine and get our heads back into our work routines.
It can be a tough period of adjustment. Switching from a phase of relaxation and downtime to the rigours of work can come as a shock. Particularly as we face the commercial pressures that the end of the year usually brings.
So how do we transition from summer escapism into the world of work smoothly and effectively? How do we re-ignite our Challenger Mindset?
Here are 3 suggestions.
1 Remind yourself of the key challenger behaviours
Here’s a quick recap if what they are and their benefits.
Authentic Identity. Drawing on your passions and beliefs brings great energy to what you do.
Ambitious Purpose. Being concerned not only with what you do but also why you do brings clarity and direction
Question Everything. Questioning the fundamentals drives improvement and progress.
Optimistic Grit. Being tenacious and optimistic helps you battle through setbacks and rejection.
Agile Inventiveness. Being resourceful helps you find inventive ways to develop solutions.
Inspire Others. Leading through example helps bring people with you.
2 See this ‘back to school’ phase as a fresh beginning
Imagine it’s the start of a new year, a time of renewal. Re-visit your goals. Set some new, clear priorities. De-clutter your workspace. Of all the 6 challenger behaviours, focus on 1 or 2 that you really want to develop and accentuate. Focus your energies on what’s most important to you. Don’t get distracted by the most immediate tasks, such as your overflowing inbox.
3 Get some outside inside inspiration
Use stories of other challenger journeys as a source of inspiration. Take a look at the Challenger Project site - click here. This is where we collate our interviews, case studies and opinion pieces from interesting emerging Challenger brands and the people behind them. Ask yourself, what can I learn from other challenger brands? How can I imitate or emulate what they’ve achieved?
In summary
As the days get shorter, returning back to work can be a difficult transition. It’s tempting to stick to familiar ways of thinking and working. To play it safe. To rely on our ‘path dependencies’. However, this is unlikely to result in innovative thinking or any real breakthroughs. It’s therefore important to re-ignite your Challenger Mindset as soon as possible. There are 3 ways to do this. Firstly, remind yourself of what the Challenger behaviours are and why they’re important. Secondly, see this ‘back to school’ transition as a period for renewal by re-calibrating your goals and priorities. Thirdly, take in some outside Challenger inspiration to act as a stimulus to action.
This way you’ll avoid the post-holiday blues and end the year on a high.