When I would brainstorm college essays with Collegewise students and they would discuss something that they were involved in—from an after-school club, to a part-time job, to a hobby—I’d ask, “What’s a really good day look like when you’re doing that?”
- What’s a really good day when you’re working those problem sets with the math club?
- What’s a really good day at your part-time job?
- What’s a really good day when you’re restoring that jeep with your dad?
I liked that question because it got a positive reaction just about every time I asked. The student would smile, get more animated, and start enthusiastically describing the little details that make those stories come alive.
We’d spend all this time trying to figure out a proof, and then there’s that moment when you realize you’re pretty close. You get all excited again and you just have to keep going at that point. When we realize that we’re gonna get there, that’s actually the best part.
One day last month it felt like I was just in the zone at work. Every customer I talked with ended up buying something. And at the end of my shift, my boss pulled me aside and said that I’d outsold everyone in the store that day. I’d never done that before. I don’t think I’d ever even been close. I actually had a lot to say that night when my parents asked me how my day was.
There are some days out there in the garage when my dad kind of stops being, I don’t know, like a dad. He tells me stories about his college days. He curses really dirty words when he can’t find the oil leak. One time he even let me share a beer with him out there as long as I didn’t tell my mom. My dad doesn’t usually loosen up like that. Those are pretty cool days.
Asking “What’s a really good day?” helps the student describe what can be really rewarding for them about the experience, something beyond the clichéd responses about learning valuable lessons.
But here’s a way you can use that question for yourself. “What’s a really good day?” helps you zero in on the high points of an activity.
Students, parents, counselors—we’ve all got certain required responsibilities that we’d just as soon not take on. And even within those things we choose to do, we’re all susceptible to occasional bouts of burnout.
When you feel that motivation flagging a bit, think back to a really good day in the same role. What made that day so enjoyable and memorable? And even more importantly, how can you repeat it and spend more time doing whatever it was that made you happy?
Depending on what you’re facing, the best way to put an end to a stretch of bad days might just be to look back and find a few of the good ones.