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If you are a relatively junior employee at your company, though you carry
out a very important role, you may not always be recognised. You might also face
some of the following challenges:
Little fulfilment at work
Long working hours
Conflicting demands on your time and loyalty
Little balance between personal life and work commitments
Tight deadlines
Management pressures
Strained relationships with the important people in your life
Tight personal finances
Lack of any say at work
Internal politics and a rigid company structure
Bullying within the workplace
Few promotional opportunities
You are therefore faced with a number of dilemmas in your workplace.
On the one hand you want to be involved in rewarding, enjoyable and
fulfilling work, get recognition and promotion for your efforts, and be
appreciated for the key role you play in the company.
On the other hand you want a balanced life with time for the things you
really want to do with a full and interesting social life. Of course you want to
have clarity about your career, job duties and you want to continue to be
healthy, fit and stress free.
So what’s the best way forward?! How can you too achieve a zen like
Happiness at work?
One key to resolving these seemingly conflicting challenges is to get clear
about just how much you love the work you do. Is what you do something you jump
out of bed every morning, or would you rather be doing something else?
How motivated are you with your work? And how do you cope with the day to
day routine office work?
A UK survey last year found that almost 2 out of 3 people are dissatisfied
with their jobs. And I am sure there is a similar situation in the USA and other
parts of the developed world. This means that they are either apathetic about
finding what they really love doing or they are resigned to being in this
situation.
No matter how good things are in other parts of your life such as family,
social life and relationships, work is a major part of your life, and not to be
neglected.
Since for now you have chosen to be in the job you are in, it is up to you
for the time being to make the most of what you do. Of course in the long term,
you can either change your job or even embark on a new career. But for now, you
can get to love more of what you do right now.
Assuming that in the short term you are not able to change jobs, there are
a number of things you can do to begin enjoying more of what you currently do.
Ask yourself - is it the job or is it you? And what can you do to make your
current work more enjoyable?
Stop acting the victim. YOU are responsible for your life and if you can’t
immediately change the job you are in, then it is up to you to make the most of
it.
Here are some simple tips for getting to enjoy your current job.
1. On the way to your workplace, get yourself motivated to face the day.
Think of how the work you have allows you to have your life outside of it, such
as a great social life. A positive attitude will make the day more pleasant and
productive.
2. Keep your work in perspective. You can only do the best you can in each
situation. Look beyond yourself and your work, and consider the bigger picture.
Do some voluntary work to gain a broader outlook. Find a way to contribute to
society in general.
3. Remember that you are more than your work. Do not have your identity too
strongly tied to the job you do. Give up thinking that your work life “should”
be a certain way. Such expectations of what you were supposed to be, as set by
your parents and teachers, stop you from enjoying what you currently do.
4. Plan your time. In your to-do list include long term projects as well as
the more imminent things that need doing. Prioritize your to-do list - do the
most important things first. When performing any task, ask yourself - is this
the best use of my time? Schedule in enough time for your studies etc.
5. Concentrate on the task at hand. Do not let yourself be distracted by
worrying about all the other things to be done or losing energy over the
undesirable situation you find yourself in. Stay in the moment.
Be ruthless and take care of a task before it gets on a possible
procrastination list. For example, sort your morning post immediately in one go
– open it, file it, act on it or bin it there and then.
6. Clarify anytime you are not sure or where you are faced with conflicting
demands. The more clear and upfront you are with your manager and the other
people you work with, the better it will be for you in the long term.
7. Delegate wherever appropriate. Decide if there is anything that can be
delegated, or that more fairly belongs to someone else’s work load. Always
remember the “3D” rule – do it, dump it or delegate it - never handle a piece of
paper twice.
8. Have regular breaks. Get away from your normal workplace even if only
for five minutes. Try taking a break from the laptop , emails and do leave the
mobile behind. Make sure that you do have that lunch break – it is not just for
food but also for fresh air and a mental break.
Eat a healthy lunch and if you must snack, make sure it is healthy too – an
apple rather than a bag of chips. Look for ways of energizing yourself other
than from adrenaline and caffeine.
9. Learn to relax no matter how challenging the work gets or how demanding
your bosses become. At the end of the day it is only a job, and you are much
more than that. In years to come, you will look back and wonder what the fuss
was.
10. Contribute towards creating a pleasant work environment. Do not gossip
in the office as it just creates negativity all around. Do not listen to any
gossip either. Minimize your time with people that you do not resonate with or
like.
Learn to have more fun at work. Laugh more and chill out. Perform with a
more fun orientated approach.
11. Review your day before you leave for Home. Look at what worked well,
and what could be improved the next day. If you feel satisfied with the day’s
work, then why not reward yourself later that day. You deserve it.
12. Switch off once you leave work. You are already at work a third of your
time, so do not continue to keep it buzzing in your head during your supposed
free time. Mentally say good bye to your work space the moment you leave for
Home.
See your work as a game. life is meant to be fun and if you are going to
spend a third of it at work, you might as well enjoy the game. |
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发表于 2016-7-10 11:36:44