Imagine choosing to spend one third of your life unhappy. Work is where we spend a great deal of our time, and many people are dissatisfied with their career situation. Why? Often times, it’s our own limiting beliefs that keep us from enjoying our work. We may make it worse by saying things like, “The money’s terrible.” “My co-workers are unreliable.” “I don’t have the skills to get that promotion I really want.” “It’s too tough to keep my business afloat, especially in this economy.”
These limiting beliefs may have kernels of truth, but none of these reasons need hold you back from not only finding enjoyment in what you do right now, but also taking your career and your business to the next level.
The truth is your unhappiness in this area we call work is not coming from a lack of anything. You have the ultimate resource within you to either change how you feel about your life’s work, or change it from a job to a passionate mission. The difference between someone thrilled about what they do, versus someone “getting by” at work, is emotional fitness—the capacity to find a deeper, more empowering meaning that keeps you going. You build emotional fitness by arming yourself with the tools necessary for peak work performance and fulfillment. These tools can be as simple as improving your state, or your physiology in any moment, or simply the language you use. But first take a deeper look into what’s really troubling you at work. Once you start replacing disempowering beliefs with empowering questions, you give yourself support toward enjoying your work instead of enduring it. “A happy employee needs to feel that work is important,” says Jane Boucher, author of How to Love the Job You Hate: Job Satisfaction for the 21st Century. “There has to be a sense of empowerment and independence.”
Exercise: Improve Your Work-Life Now! Complete the exercise below to determine what could be holding you back from improving your work situation now. (Note: these same questions could apply to any area of your life).
1. Write down one challenge happening within your work or business right now. Do you like your work but feel overwhelmed? Are you experiencing conflict with a boss or co-worker? Do you want to ask for a raise yet are afraid to? Do you want to completely change what you do?
2. How could you use this challenge as an opportunity for growth? For example, a consistent argument with a co-worker could open the door for stronger communication, learning how to empathize with others by stepping into their shoes, and improving your overall ability to influence others positively.
3. What one or two small actions could you take? Could you take that co-worker out to lunch; or commit to doing one small thing a day to strengthen your relationship; take interest in a project they’re working on, or praise great effort?
Filed under: How To | Tagged: be who you are, challange, communication, how to enjouy your work, opprtunity | 2 Comments »