Life is too short to be in a job we don’t like

Do you find yourself counting the days to the weekend? Or on Sunday Night do you start dreading the fact that the next day you have to work? Those are clear signs that you are not enjoying your work.  I’m stating the obvious, but maybe we need that little push to do something about a situation that we have grown accustomed to.  Life is too short to be in a job that makes us unhappy.  Think about it, we spend most of our time in our jobs, so shouldn’t that time be well invested? If you don’t love the work you do, try to find another one and if you can’t, then try to find a way to love the work you do. I know it is not that simple, but it comes to that, you are either going to enjoy the time you spend at work or you are going to feel miserable, it is up to you.  The book Fish tells us: “There is always a choice about the way you do your work, even if there is not a choice about the work itself.”

Wishing every day for the hours to go by faster so we can go back home is not a good way to spend our days; it is actually a sad way to waste our talents, abilities and knowledge.  We all have a lot to give, even at a job we dislike or where we are not appreciated.  If we are there we need to make the most of that moment.  If we go to work with a new attitude that may not mean that our boss is going to give us an immediate raise or even be nicer to us, but at least we are making the decision to have a good day, and you will be surprised how that affects your coworkers and customers positively. 

Here are a few ideas on how you can live in the moment at your workplace:

Focus on the positive:  Sometimes we tend to see so many negative things at once that they bury the positive.  Once we decide (because it is a decision) to focus on the good, we see things with a new perspective.    

One hour at a time: We need to focus on what we are doing, to enjoy the challenge and forget about the rest.  Sometimes we are doing something while thinking about the many things we really dislike about our job, but those things have nothing to do with the task at hand.  Let go of the thoughts that are distracting and damaging your attitude.      

You are on a mission: Maybe the people around you don’t appreciate your work, or they don’t value what you are doing, but it is up to you to value your own work.  I am not saying that it is right and we should put up with abuse at work;  no way! But if you choose to stay in a job you dislike, then you need to make the environment positive, at least the part that you can control.  You are there for a reason; the work you do matters, so each hour you spend there is valuable. Make it count.

Be in the moment, in the job: If you are working then work, don’t text, tweet or play games. Many times we can’t be in the moment at work because we are continually disrupting the flow of things by checking our phones.  We are not only stealing from our jobs, but we are stealing from ourselves because we are not allowing ourselves to reach our potential. 

According to Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, “Flow tends to occur when a person’s skills are fully involved in overcoming a challenge that is just about manageable.”  If the challenge is too simple we get bored, but if it is too hard then we get frustrated.  Our goal is to find that right challenge at work and to be so focused in what we are doing that distractions don’t steal from the now.  At that moment is not about the hours, or the boss or the pay, it is about the joy of doing a good job.  We have the ability to decide if the time we spend at work is rewarding or depressing, let’s choose wisely.

By Manuelita @manuelitaotero