By Jennifer Hakim, founder and director of Jennifer Hakim Communications, a marketing and PR agency for mindful businesses.
Be mindful: in life and in business
There was a time where I didn’t think much about where I was headed with my life and my career. But a sudden burnout made me reconsider everything I took for granted and I ended up having no other choice than stepping up my ‘life game’. This meant drawing the line when it came to what I did or did not want to do or experience, and it started with finding out who I was ethically. Once I found it, it became obvious which direction I had to follow, and I now know speaking up about principles are quite life changing. And it can change your career too.
Here are three steps to get vocal (and loud) about your principles and ethics, and why this should be on your priority list:
1) Pause, reset and think about your personal ethos
You may not be active about your own principles and ethics, or may think they are applied in your daily life without you having to be mindful about them, but you may be wrong here (and wasting your talents away). When I left a job that was making me truly unhappy I had a long hard think about what it was exactly that killed my spirits. Turns out, it didn’t feed my need to serve a meaningful purpose. Before that moment I had no idea about how emotionally invested I was in doing good and helping others, but this life reset button opened my eyes to my personal ethos.
2) Be mindful: in life and in business
This troubled phase made me shift my whole perspective on my life and career: I had to be mindful. Mindful about how I was leading my life, who I was letting in, who I was working with, who I was working for, what I was building and contributing to, and of course what impact I was eventually going to have on the world. Being mindful is quite simply being respectful, conscious and aware of what you are doing, under any given circumstances. This means that in business, you are constantly selecting and reflecting on your activities, what your work means for others, what it does to them, how you can help, who you hire, and what more you can do to contribute to a better world.
3) Let your principles drive you where you want to go
When I launched my agency this was the first thing on my mind. Work and life had to be aligned, and the line they would both follow would be my core principles and ethics. Because why would they follow different directions? And this has been the driver behind our work, and my motivation to build a successful, meaningful life. Everyone around me knows what I stand for and what I don’t, what my personal ethos is (it’s written on my business card!) and what I want to do in the world. I spoke up, first to myself, then others, to make this a very clear, obvious path to follow. So be vocal about your life principles, find your own personal motto and stick to it: this is what makes you and your business unique.
We all have our own principles, likes and dislikes, causes we support, and a personal motto. Find your own ethos, and put it out there in the world. Don’t hesitate to shout it from the rooftops, you are doing this for a good reason. No one will blame you for being true to what you stand for, living a mindful life and building a career that reflects your beliefs.
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