Tag: work

You get to do this…

You don’t “have to” do anything…you “get to” do those things. Some people would love to be in your position where you feel like you “have” to do something. Your “curse” might be another person’s blessing.

When you have to go to work to pay the bills…

At least you have a job, which is more than the unemployed can say…

At least you’re able to work…

At least you’re able to provide value and be compensated for it…

At least you have the physical and mental capacity to be able to complete the task in front of you.

At least you can feel like you’ve accomplished something…

It’s ok to not always be happy. But if you’re unhappy for too many days in a row, you need to make an adjustment. Is it your attitude that you need to change or your circumstances? Either might be the correct answer (or both), but instead of just being angry or sad, make a change to feel better. And don’t forget that no matter what you’re going through, other people somewhere have it worse than you.

Are you productive? Or are you just busy?

Don’t confuse busyness with productivity. Work on things that matter/move the needle. Don’t spend time on the trivial…eliminate that which isn’t necessary for you (or anyone) to do, automate that which can be automated (have A.I. help), and delegate that which needs to be done but not necessarily by you.

If you want to grow, you will HAVE to learn how to do these things. We all only have so much time and energy during the day. If we spend all of it doing things that don’t bring us closer to our goals, we are leaving a lot on the table.

Being busy is not necessarily the same as being productive. How can you minimize the busy work and focus on doing the most meaningful and/or dollar-productive work?

What are you working for?

Be aware of how much money you need to live the kind of life you want.

Do you have enough money to pay for healthy food, pay your mortgage payment, pay your utilities (water, gas, electric), pay for your vehicle upkeep (gas, tires, oil changes, etc), and pay for some niceties? Do you have enough money to add to your 6-month emergency fund and to go towards investing in your future?

Don’t get caught up trying to keep up with the Joneses. Don’t get caught with lifestyle creep. Don’t get caught buying things that bring you no value – no happiness, no enjoyment, that hinder your health, etc.

But also, if you’re not a “spender,” don’t always get caught up in trying to accumulate “more.” It’s talked about less frequently because less people have this issue. But why are you always chasing money? When will enough be enough (especially if you never spend it or use it)?

Money is a tool. We can use it to improve our lives. But it shouldn’t be our main focus. Work so that you can live. Don’t live so you can work…there is more to life than just working. Don’t miss out on all that the world has to offer.

Living a fulfilled work life

To have a fulfilled work life, find the intersection of the following:

1. What you LOVE doing. The work will feel “light” or easy most days because you enjoy what you do.

2. What you’re GREAT at doing. Everyone likes being good at what they do. It brings internal satisfaction, but also can bring external recognition.

3. What people will PAY you to do. Ultimately, you have to make a living. Being paid (and paid well) will help to ease any internal concerns you may have about whether or not you made the right career choice.

5 Rules to succeed at the workplace

1) Be the hardest worker in the room. Get there first, leave there last, and be productive when you’re there. Work when you’re at work.

2) Question everything internally first. If a rule, a way of doing things, or a story doesn’t make sense to you, try to earnestly figure it out and come up with a solution. If you always question an authority figure out loud (and especially if you do it in front of others), it will be viewed as being disrespectful. But if you bring things to their attention when you don’t understand and you do it in private, they can respect that (as long as their ego is in check).

3) Be humble, yet confident. Let your actions and the results speak for you. Keep your head up, put a smile on your face, have good posture/don’t slouch, speak clearly/enunciate, speak loudly but not too loud, look at others in the eyes when you’re talking with them, and keep an open mind to changing/forming new opinions.

4) Don’t engage in gossip unless you are speaking positively about someone else/building them up. Never say something behind someone’s back that you wouldn’t say to their face. If you would say it to their face and it’s a big enough deal to bother you, bring that person aside and talk it out.

5) Stay in your lane, but be aware of what is happening in the lanes around you. Nobody wants someone in another department to butt in and tell them how to do their job. Focus on your tasks and your responsibilities. BUT, have a good understanding of what other departments do, what they do well and what they can improve upon. You don’t need to know how they do what they do, but if you want to rise in the ranks, you should at least know what they do.