Knowing how to lose your ego at work is essential if you want a fruitful and thriving professional career that fulfills you and gives you a sense of purpose. Otherwise, you run the risk of going through each workday with fear and dread. That’s probably not a situation you want to be in, yet so many are. In many cases, your ego is probably in the way of the professional life that you want, not your boss or your co-workers.
How To Lose Your Ego at the Office
Here are essential tips that you need to know about so you can have the work-life you actually want, especially if you want to have a better quality of life.
Practice Gratefulness
If you’ve read any self-help material, you’ve probably heard this one already. There’s a reason for that; it works well enough for anyone willing to consider it. A simple way to start is to just think about what you’re grateful for with what you already have. If you’re reading this article and have access to the internet, there’s probably something. It doesn’t matter if these aspects are big or small as they add up and can alleviate your ego’s irrational fears.
Also, consider what you’re grateful for about other people. This can be in your personal life or at your workplace. If a team member consistently does a good job for something you need to be done, that’s definitely something to be grateful for. If your boss is more pleasant than most, that’s also something to think about. Mentally going through your network in this way will help you develop better relationships and get yourself out of the way.
Praise Your Coworkers
Focusing on others is a great way to lose your ego, especially if it’s positive. Doing so will lessen the focus on yourself and put it onto others. In a work setting, this can be your managers or supervisors, co-workers, or subordinates. This is similar to the previous practice, though it communicates your gratefulness. Try to do this as much as possible when it’s appropriate, especially when it’s done authentically.
While this doesn’t directly help you with your ambitions and opportunities, it makes you more likable with your network. They’ll know that you’re trying to benefit the whole group rather than just yourself. This leads to better interactions with people you work with and interact with daily.
Consider the Journey
Too many people are either focused on past mistakes or future opportunities. More often than not, people’s sense of self is tied to their achievements, especially in the workplace. Try to avoid this way of thinking by focusing instead on the daily operations and your relationships with the people you work with. This helps you surrender the habit of trying to control more than you can, leading to a better career.
In Conclusion
As long as you know how to lose your ego at work, you’re well on your way to building a successful as well as purposeful career. In many ways, people’s sense of self gets in the way of their fulfillment and even success in life. Much more can be achieved through collaboration in the long-run.