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Are you where you want to be ...
in your book ... in your career ... in your life?
Few of us could answer YES to that question in all the areas of our life.
Are we trying too hard to DO
and forgetting simply to LIVE.
1.) ASK: DO YOU EVEN LIKE YOUR JOB OR YOUR DREAM?
What prompted you to that profession, to that dream (say of writing).
In the bustle of the struggle, we forget to think of the answer to that question.
Ask: Is this for me?
If the answer to that question is YES focus on what is most important at work,
instead of worrying about your own expectations.
STILL ...
The odds are you are NOT happy at work.
52.3 % of us are not according to a new study.
The prospects for long-term work with the same employer have eroded
and employees have been saddled with ever-higher health plan deductibles and payroll deductions.
2.) WHAT TO DO TO BECOME HAPPIER IN AN UNHAPPY JOB
Decide what is making you unhappy about your job and change what you can.
Sometimes you cannot change the external so then you must try to change the internal.
Change the stories you are telling yourself about your situation --
“I can’t stand this,” “This is awful,” or “I should be doing something else with my life.”
Unpleasant does not mean unbearable.
Life has its seasons (each teaches us important lessons if we but listen.)
Cursing at the rain never kept anyone dry.
We are where we are.
Try to find the humor in each hour or try to bring a smile to a co-worker.
Perspective is everything:
There are those in the Third World who would be astounded that you are miserable compared to where they are in their lives.
3.) BUILD MEANING WHERE YOU CAN
Find meaning where you can. Sometimes the relationships are what makes a job endurable.
Other times, the relationships are what gnaw at you.
Those miserable people teach you how NOT to be,
and they have to live with their dissatisfaction and bitterness every minute.
Imagine being angry within all the time.
There is worth in even the most minor of tasks if we do them with pride and integrity.
4.) CONNECT YOUR JOB TO BED-ROCK VALUES
Your job allows you to pay the bills and to care for your family -- that, at least, is positive.
If possible, place photos or reminders of those you love on your desk, in your locker ...
You will feel better for doing what is needed for them.
Perhaps your job allows you off time to pursue your dreams or to pay for tuition to reach your dreams.
5.) MAKE YOUR OWN MANTRA
Come up with things to think as you go about your work day such as:
What Blessings Are Mine Right Now?
Remember to Practice Kindness Today.
Let Go of What I Cannot Control.
Listen to What My Heart Is Trying To Tell Me.
Be Productive Yet Calm -- Inch By Inch and It is a Cinch.
Just Breathe.
6.) FOCUS ON WHAT MATTERS MOST
We often create unachievable expectations for ourselves.
Re-evaluate what you are doing and what you really need to do.
Look for the quality, not quantity of work.
Stop equating hours with doing a good job at your work or with your dream.
7.) LEAVE WORK AT WORK -- ESPECIALLY DURING DAYS OFF.
Plan the day and week to get what’s most important done during work hours.
Make tasks fun or enjoyable; they are not tasks but just part of your life. Experience them.
8.) GIVE YOURSELF THE GIFT OF FREE TIME
It’s not just becoming more efficient at work. You need to grant yourself permission to do less, and to begin living your life again.
Whatever re-charges your emotional batteries, plan a segment of time each day to do it.
It is a proven fact that if you do only 2 minutes of planned exercise a day, you will feel happier.
9.) DROP THE SUNDAY NIGHT BLUES.
If you feel a sinking feeling in your stomach each night before you start your work week,
realize that 5/7 of your life is made up of your employment.
Seek ways to bring a smile or happiness to each hour you are working (or writing).
Insist that you are going to make those 5/7 of your life worth living.
Look for reasons to laugh or smile each hour.
Look for a stressed face at work and try to ease the tightness you see there.
10.) LIFE IS FLEETING ... EXPERIENCE IT; DON'T SIMPLY ENDURE IT!
