This excerpt is from the Work Happy Now June newsletter. If you like what you see then sign-up for our newsletter and receive these great tips every month.
Working happy is not all about doing something we love. I think that it’s a misconception that we have to do something that excites us every moment. If we did that, we would be worn out by lunch every single day.
Working happy is about:
- Relaxing with the work we are presently doing.
- Sharing our pain and joy with our co-workers.
- Fooling around and laughing up a storm every once in a while.
- Completing a tough project.
- Failing and dusting ourselves off and trying again.
- Commuting home and breathing a sigh of relief.
- Getting paid for our hard work.
- Looking back at the story we created.
Yes, we should enjoy what we do, but not all of us have the luxury at the moment. It’s really about looking at the big picture and enjoying the job for all that it is. Take a moment to enjoy those little things that are normally taken for granted.
Hope you had a great working month. If not, no big deal because you always have the next month to make it better.
A few articles from Work Happy Now that you probably will enjoy:
Mini Sabbaticals Should be Mandatory
Accenture refused to layoff their employees when they hit a rough period because they didn’t want to go through a whole new batch of hiring and training. So they decided to pay the staff that they would have laid off 20% of their pay with benefits while they waited for the economy to bounce back. The catch was, they couldn’t work for a competitor. When the economy came back around they rehired the employees they couldn’t afford to keep.
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Tell Your Boss You Need Some Leisure Time
Get right up in her face and tell her you demand leisure time. Okay, that’s a bit much, but you can probably take some leisure time without being a jerk about it. It’s as simple as taking fifteen minutes here and two minutes there. There is a reason why people are addicted to smoking and it’s not just the nicotine. They get to go outside and take a break from all the stress. I find it funny to see a group of smokers huddled on a cold day, but they’re out there because it gives them a chance to have their nicotine and leisure time.
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25 Lessons on Working Happy From My German Father
My father owns an electrical contracting business. He built a strong company that has lasted for over 40 years. He has never advertised in his life. He went out and proved he was good and his customers referred him to other friends and contractors all over eastern Pennsylvania. Seth Godin would have been proud.
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Image courtesy of JanneM
Just stopping by from Liz Strauss’s Blog Show.
As a recovering perfectionist, I found it hard to work happy because the work was never “good enough,” but I’m finally on the other side of that, and I’ve realized self-acceptance and releasing limiting thoughts makes the whole world a brighter place.
SpaceAgeSage’s last blog post..Favorite posts from SpaceAgeSage
another great article…I love what I do for a living but often find that I am completely and totally DRAINED. There is a lot of work involved in what I do, and often I find that with no one holding back the reins on me, I tend to work longer hours. It’s difficult not to be a workaholic, and I think it is important for people to realize that even if they do enjoy what they do for a living, they need to make sure that they are putting themselves, their health and their relationships with others first. We need to remind ourselves to take a break and step away from work.
Hi Karl, came by from Liz Strauss’s “Blog-to-Show.” I really liked reading the articles you highlighted.
Al at 7P’s last blog post..Jump Right In!
Hey Janelle, we all need to find our comfortable stress level. When we are aware of how we are overworking ourselves we must learn to pull back, gain perspective and work at a more moderate pace. Our health is more important than just accomplishing tasks.
Hi Karl,
I like the part where you said, “looking back at the story we created”. Even at work we make memories. Often by looking back, we can see how far we’ve come. This is especially true when we work our way up, from the bottom.
Barbara Swafford’s last blog post..See Me On Liz’s “Blog To Show”
Hi Karl.
I was in the neighbourhood on Liz’s Blog to Show and thought I’d pop in to say hi. I like the atmosphere of your blog and will be back for more reading.
This was a good post. It is true that we often forget to appreciate the smaller things.
Davina’s last blog post..Core Value Statements
Great blog….thank you for your insights. An update on Accenture. They just deployed a “self-funded” sabbatical program and have won several workplace awards for it. All employees with 3 years’ service are eligible for 1-3 months leave. For a growing list of companies that offer sabbaticals (and I AGREE that they should be mandatory!!), see “Companies on a Quest” at http://www.yoursabbatical.com.
I really love this entry.
1-3 months leave sounds awfully good right about now. Back from a 10-day vacation just 3 weeks ago and the benefits have worn off I think.
Kudos to companies that support the well being of their productive and loyal staff!
I will share this list as a resource for the readers of my college career blog. This way, new grads can get a sense of what they could work towards.
Marcie
Marcia Robinson @ BullsEye’s last blog post..Time to Reconnect