Welcome to the Stop Sabotaging Your Success Podcast, episode ninety-three. I’m your host, Cindy Esliger. This is the podcast focusing on what we can do today to take control of our careers and overcome the inevitable barriers to success that we encounter along the way. 

It’s the little things that make our experiences feel special. You might find that it’s those simple touches that are easy to implement, inexpensive, and not time consuming that can really add to your enjoyment. We tend to take so much for granted. When was the last time you were able to just slow down and be thoughtful about the things that we often do thoughtlessly? We are all victims of busyness and sometimes we miss our chance to make an impact. 

In this episode, we explore how we can elevate the ordinary to transform our everyday experiences into something special. We spend a lot of our time working hard and being productive. We’re focused on being not only efficient but also effective. Elevating the ordinary is not going over the top, but rather simply taking extra care to do your best and pay attention to the small stuff. It’s a willingness to engage, smile, and look people in the eye. The reason it really stands out is because no one does it anymore.

In today’s fast-paced world where people often work long hours and experience high levels of stress, finding ways to cope and stay grounded can be challenging. Elevating the ordinary and appreciating everyday experiences can be a helpful strategy for maintaining a sense of balance and well-being in a challenging work environment. By focusing on the beauty and value in the small things, we can sometimes find joy and fulfillment even when everything isn’t going our way.

One way to elevate the ordinary is by taking the time to indulge in simple pleasures. For example, instead of rushing through a morning coffee, take a few extra minutes to savor the aroma and taste. Take a moment to appreciate the warmth of the cup and the quiet of the morning before the hustle and bustle of the day begins. By consciously focusing the experience of drinking your coffee, it can become a daily ritual that brings a sense of pleasure and relaxation. 

Another way to elevate the ordinary is to bring a sense of luxury to everyday activities. For instance, taking a long, luxurious bath with candles and soothing music can create a spa-like experience in the comfort of your own home. Additionally, dressing up for work or adding a touch of elegance to daily tasks such as using a fancy pen or journal can make even the most mundane activities feel special.

In addition to elevating the ordinary, it’s important to appreciate the beauty and value in everyday experiences. Taking time to notice the simple things in life such as a beautiful sunset or a kind gesture from a colleague can bring a sense of gratitude and contentment. By shifting our focus to the positive aspects of life, we can cultivate a sense of optimism and resilience in the face of challenging circumstances.

One way to appreciate everyday experiences is through cultivating a sense of awe and wonder. Awe is an emotion that arises when we are confronted with something that is vast, powerful, or beautiful. By seeking out awe-inspiring experiences, we can cultivate a sense of wonder and appreciation for the world around us, helping us stay grounded and centered in the present moment and develop the resilience needed to navigate the ups and downs of work and life.

Elevating the ordinary and appreciating everyday experiences can be a powerful strategy for coping in a challenging work environment. By finding joy and fulfillment in the small things, we can maintain a sense of balance and well-being, even in the midst of difficulty. 

By paying attention to the present moment, with a non-judgmental attitude, we can cultivate mindfulness which has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety and improve overall well-being. When we are present in the moment, we are more likely to notice the small things that might otherwise go unnoticed. 

Taking the time to appreciate those moments can also foster stronger relationships and a greater sense of connection to others. When we express gratitude for those kind gestures and small acts of kindness, we create a positive feedback loop of appreciation and goodwill. It becomes easier to pay it forward when we are on the receiving end of someone else’s generosity. This can lead to deeper connections and a greater sense of belonging in our personal and professional lives, which can be a source of significant fulfillment and happiness. 

Elevating the ordinary means finding ways to make everyday experiences feel more significant. One example of elevating the ordinary in a work environment might involve taking a break during a busy day to indulge in a small pleasure. This might mean taking a few minutes of your lunch break to go for a walk outside to appreciate the beauty of nature, if you’re lucky enough to have a park nearby. By consciously focusing on the experience of the present moment, we can cultivate a sense of calm and relaxation which can be helpful for coping with the challenges of a demanding job. 

Small gestures can make everyday experiences feel more special by giving us a reprieve from the constant barrage of negativity and complaints. When we take the time to focus on the small pleasures in life, we can cultivate a sense of gratitude and contentment, which can then spread and improve our overall mood and how we feel about ourselves and our work. This is especially important in a challenging work environment where stress and pressure can take a toll on our mental health. 

It can be applied to just about anything we usually take for granted. If you can make it special, consider doing it. Make it a habit. Imagine receiving an email telling you how much someone appreciated your contribution. Now, imagine sending that email and how good it feels to be the one who recognizes a job well done. It may be just what they needed to reignite their confidence, self-worth, sense of mastery, and the value they bring to the organization. That can be powerful. 

Noticing and expressing your appreciation for the work people do every day without fail can also be a great way to improve your experience and that of everyone around you. Action inspires attitude. This might involve taking a moment to thank a colleague for offering their help when you needed it most. 

Instead of just showing up and following the same old routine, consider the small things that you may be taking for granted and how you can do those things differently. Even the smallest gestures of kindness and consideration can make everyday experiences feel more special by bringing a sense of appreciation to the moment. Telling someone what a great job they’re doing can turn things around because it’s such a rarity these days. This small gesture can go a long way to help reduce their stress, improve their mood, and foster a sense of belonging in what may seem to some as a hostile and unforgiving competitive work environment.

It’s not until we’re forced to slow down that we miss our daily routine, even when there’s nothing really exciting about it. Much of what we do every day is mundane. It’s not like we all have important coffee meetings or strategic sessions with an executive on your average Tuesday. Maybe the highlight of your morning is your walk with your dog or engaging in conversation with those you work with as you are grabbing your morning coffee. Perhaps it’s nothing groundbreaking because it’s totally routine. Recognize that there’s comfort in the familiar and pleasure to be found in the ordinary. 

Are you the type of person who dreams of a life of success and excitement? Were you hoping that included travel to far away places and making business contacts on every continent? The reality is, as much as we might feel grateful for the opportunities of business travel, at least in my experience, it’s not what I thought it would be. And, I mostly just wished I could be home with my family instead. It took a while for me to appreciate the magic that there was in being able to be home every night after work. 

You might spend years on a personal quest to find yourself or build a successful career, only to find yourself still reaching, still searching, because none of it feels like it’s enough somehow. We might spend a lot of our time thinking that the meaning we’re looking for is somewhere out there. Not everything that is important is beyond our grasp. Sometimes, it’s right in front of us, staring us in the face. And when we finally notice, everything starts to feel that much more magical. All that was needed was to transform the ordinary moments into the extraordinary in a way that was meaningful to us. 

The truth is, what’s over there is not more amazing than what’s over here. We spend so much time looking in other directions that we dismiss what’s happening right now in our ordinary, everyday life because we’re too busy running toward the next thing. 

Each of us has the ability to elevate each moment and find what’s magical about it. It’s about noticing and appreciating what we have right now before it slips through our fingers. Take the time to notice and elevate those moments of your life that might seem mundane. Draw out the extraordinary by looking for it, even when it seems nearly impossible to find. What we consider normal and somewhat boring now, may be what we absolutely cherish later. 

Our society convinces us that we need to dream big and achieve extraordinary things, but sometimes this has us feeling like we aren’t doing it right because we haven’t made it yet. We get that feeling like we need to create something different than what we have, and it should require investing a huge amount of time, effort, and resources. We start to think that everything we do needs to be a monumental experience of immense proportions. 

But what if our everyday was composed of small but extraordinary moments? What if our mundane interactions could be elevated to a higher level? This could happen if we choose to. It’s not something that has to be planned or scheduled. It’s just something that happens when we slow down, take a breather, and start experiencing life more fully rather than in our standard, half-hearted, rushed way. 

Gratitude and mindfulness are essential for appreciating everyday experiences, especially when not everything is working out the way we’d hoped it would. By cultivating a sense of awareness, we can shift our focus from the negative aspects of work to the positive. 

One strategy for cultivating this appreciation is to keep a gratitude journal. This involves taking a few minutes each day to write down three to five things for which you are grateful. This might include small moments of joy or accomplishment, such as completing a project or receiving a compliment from a colleague. By focusing on the positive aspects of your workday, you can find a sense of contentment. 

Elevating the ordinary can make a positive impact on your work life in several ways, especially when it comes to helping you cope in a challenging work environment. Here are four examples of things you can look forward to when you make the effort to see things differently:

• Increased motivation
• Improved mood
• Greater sense of control
• Increased creativity

When you take the time to elevate the ordinary and make everyday experiences feel more special, it can help to increase motivation and make work feel more rewarding. This can be especially helpful when dealing with challenging tasks or projects that might otherwise feel daunting or overwhelming. It can also help to improve your overall mood by focusing on the positive aspects of your workday and letting the rest of it go.

By elevating the ordinary, you can take control of your work environment and create a sense of agency and empowerment. This might involve adding personal touches to your workspace or engaging in activities that bring a sense of luxury or indulgence to your workday. So, get creative. 

It’s simply about raising your personal standards, that’s all. Making a small tweak in the way you do something can make a big difference over time.I challenge you to improve the way you communicate, interact, and experience the world today, just a little bit more than you did yesterday. 

When we feel the pressure to have an extraordinary life, we live in that sense of expectation. We start measuring everything against this ideal and end up coming up short. While we may be just ordinary people, we have the ability to make our experiences feel extraordinary.

Look around at what you already have: 

• The beautiful scenery outside your window that you’ve ignored
• The people in your department who you haven’t spoken with in a while
• That person making the delivery that you didn’t even acknowledge

Eliminate the expectation of how things should be and appreciate what already is. Be present. Stop dismissing the incredibly enriching and life-enhancing experiences right in front of you. Some of us are lucky enough to travel to amazing places and appreciate the beauty the world has to offer. But have you considered that many people from elsewhere travel to where you are right now to appreciate what you take for granted every day? 

Transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary requires being present and having a desire to live in a more engaged way with the people closest to us. Stop experiencing your life in a superficial fashion, waiting for something magical to happen. Start living your life more fully and with more gratitude. Get rid of all that gets in the way of you experiencing the moment. It might mean ‘being’ more and ‘doing’ less. 

Small gestures can make a big difference. Elevating the ordinary doesn’t require a lot of time, effort, or money. Remove the expectations of how something needs to be and start experiencing things as they are. 

Elevating the ordinary can have far-reaching benefits. Take the time to appreciate the everyday, no matter how ordinary it might seem, because one day, it might all be gone and then you’ll really wish you had. 

And that’s it for this episode of Stop Sabotaging Your Success. Remember to download your Guide to Elevating the Ordinary at cindyesliger.com/podcast, episode ninety-three.

Thank you to our producer, Alex Hochhausen and everyone at Astronomic Audio. Get in touch, I’m on Instagram @cindyesliger and my email address is info@cindyesliger.com.

If you enjoy listening to this podcast, you have to come check out The Confidence Collective. It’s my monthly coaching program where we dig a little deeper into what’s holding you back in your career, and we find the workarounds. We help you overcome the barriers and create the career you want. Join me over at cindyesliger.com/join. I’d love to have you join me in The Confidence Collective. 

Until next week, I’m Cindy Esliger. Thanks for listening.