Saturday, June 1, 2013

That Friday Feeling

You know that Friday feeling? The one you have as you and your fellow commuters head into work in jeans. That feeling as you treat yourself to a mocha-frappe-fluff-achino, extra hot, extra whip, and hell yes, definitely put shaved chocolate on that because it's Friday and you deserve it.

And that feeling in the workplace, where people are friendlier, chat about the upcoming weekend while collaborating on a project deadline. The feeling that makes you put on some fun music while you take a few minutes to sort out your desk and deal with piles, folders, filing, and those sticky notes of scribbles that need entering in your task list. Yeah, that feeling. That's the Friday feeling I'm talking about.

So I have to ask - what is it about Fridays? You get things done, people are a bit lighter and more fun, and you just feel more happy and comfortable. And everything just seems to flow seamlessly. You can get stuff accomplished and still manage to tear out the door a little earlier to start your weekend.

Why is that? Is it the jeans? The treat from Starbucks? The idea that the work week is almost over and the weekend is almost there? Are people are more collegial because they have a line of sight on happy hour on a patio? Yes. Exactly. Sort of. Almost, and most definitely.

Here's where I'm going with this: Fridays are when we let our true selves out of their boxes. We are just downright more comfortable on Fridays, and it's not necessarily the jeans or the promise of happy hour. It's because we are more authentic on Fridays than any other workday.

We are kinder to ourselves, giving ourselves those little rewards and allowances. We are kinder to others. We let our humour show a bit, joking with the guy in line next to you at Starbucks or shooting an office-appropriate (or not) zinger to a colleague via email. We allow our authentic selves to shine and everything just clicks together fairly effortlessly.

I'm not suggesting we need to wear a uniform of jeans to the office five days a week or become overnight Gold Card holders at Starbucks from a steady diet of fluffy coffees. What I am suggesting, however, is we be kind to ourselves and one another, and we let down those barriers that hide our true selves, which by the way, are the selves that are more effective than their restrained counterparts. What I am suggesting, is that five days a week (and even on weekends if you feel so inclined) we strive to keep it real. Try it as an experiment and see what happens. You might be surprised.





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