I’m getting very tired of people not believing in their superpowers. It’s why I hate the word strengths. It’s the most overused word in business today.

We focus on things we are good at instead of doing work that we care about.

You may crunch numbers because you are good at it. You may sell toner because it’s what you know. You manage projects because people keep asking you to do it again and again.

This is so wrong on many levels. You shouldn’t be doing work based on your strengths. Yes, this should be a factor, but not the whole basis of your work. It’s also why I hate strengths test. They don’t make you think about the work that excites you. They force you to fit your work into square holes.

You have powers to change people’s lives.

It’s why we are here – to affect people by making their lives better.

The only way you are going to change people’s lives it to do work that you are good at, you care about and gets you in the zone. It’s why I created the Unlock Your (Marketing) Superpowers manifesto. There are people that are using their superpowers to change the world. It’s this connection that brings them more joy than they ever thought possible.

You need all three factors. If you don’t care and you just want to coast so be it, but it’s the worst way of living. Of course you need down time; you can’t create 24/7 or even 8/7. You need to find your time that gets you in your hot zones. Those zones when you can’t do any wrong. You must feel like your work is just plain fun.

When we are kids we learned by experimenting, failing, then trying again. We didn’t care about perfection. Then there was this point that we got it in our heads that failure is bad. We gain this conscious that holds us back from using our superpowers. We stop believing in the infinite and start limiting our imaginations.

You have to stop letting your arch nemesis hold you back. YOU HAVE SUPERPOWERS. It’s these powers that you need to share with the world.

It’s really not that hard. It takes a little work each day, but it’s the fun type of work.

Ask yourself these 3 questions:

1. What type of work gets you in the zone? (List at least 10)
2. What type of work matters to you? (List at least 10)
3. What type of work comes naturally to you? (List at least 10)

By digging deep into where your past successes are you can find work that will help you unleash your superpowers that will change the world.

Now you look at your list. Which actions show up on all 3 lists? It’s these actions that you have to use every single day.

Your fear may hold you back at first, but just ask yourself, are you using your superpowers to make a difference? Does making this difference matter more than your fears? If the answer is yes you know what you need to do.

If you want to learn more about your superpowers check out my free manifesto – Unlock Your (Marketing) Superpowers. Marketing is in the title because it’s what I help people do. I help them connect with people so they can change the world.

You must start using your superpowers right away otherwise you won’t accomplish the great work that will change lives.

Once you are living your superpowers that’s when your career starts becoming fun. People can leverage your superpowers and you can leverage theirs. That’s the key to a happy career. You learn to trust other people’s superpowers and they trust yours, creating life changing stuff together.

So you need to promise me to find one small task each day that you love to do, gets you in the zone, and comes easy for you then email me [karl (AT) partybizconnect (DOT) com] in one week and let me know how your career/life is improving.

Download the Free eBook Work Happy the Google Way * Post from: Work Happy Now!

Editor’s note: This is a guest post from Mike Bundrant of iNLP.

“Do it, Mike! Just do it! Stop your whining and get off your butt!”

This is how I used to motivate myself. I carried around an inner high school football coach to bark at me whenever he thought I was slacking. The problem was, I constantly stressed myself out. Worse, half the time I “rebelled” against this inner dictator and became passive aggressive toward my own goals. How’s that for nutty?

Patterns

Actually, this is a common pattern. A “dictator” style of motivation has an undermining effect in the long run. Most people don’t like to be ordered around. In the workplace it leads to low morale and a low productivity, high-turnover workforce. Dictator-style parents tend to divide families and create harsh rivalries in the home. Ordering yourself around leads to the number one killer of personal development goals: self-sabotage.

Think about it. To your mind and body, a harsh, loud voice ordering you around is jarring, regardless of the source. You respond with stress and resistance whether from an outsider imposing his will or you imposing your will upon yourself. In the end, your brain experiences the commands in a similar fashion. Your mind places a lot less emphasis on the origin of an experience than you may think. All of us can make our mouths water just by imagining a delectable dessert. We’ve all reacted with fear to inner thoughts that had no basis in external reality. Ordering yourself around is being ordered around, period. Chances are, you don’t like it and will shut down, refusing to take any action at all.

The stress and resistance of dictatorial self-motivation is an expressway to self-sabotage. “I don’t have to do anything I don’t want to do!” is the common response to inappropriate commands, even when those commands are self-generated. It’s a perfect set up.

A New Way

Zen Motivation changes all this. The need to bark orders and force yourself to do things doesn’t even arise in a Zen motivation state. Motivating yourself to do things, even unpleasant things, is a normal part of living and comes quite naturally when in a more Zen-like state, connected to the present moment. Do this exercise and see what I mean.

1. Consider one thing that you need to motivate yourself to do, such as exercise, pull weeds, meet with a difficult colleague, and so forth. If you can, write down the name of the task in the middle of a piece of paper (if you have a pen and paper).

2. Become aware how you would typically motivate yourself to do this and write down (if you can) the thoughts and feelings that come next. For example, “Get it done!” or “Let’s move!” or “I just have to get this done!” or “Come on, Mike!” or (feelings, too) “Tension in chest and shoulders.” Write freely for a minute or so and don’t censor yourself.

3. Just clear your mind for a few moments. Shake it off.

4. Forget everything and enter a more present, grounded state by tuning into a mundane sound, such as the sound of distant traffic, the hum of your computer (or the white noise of a fan, refrigerator, running water, etc…). Don’t do anything else or try to relax – just tune into the sound. Keep listening for a minute or more, until you feel settled.

5. When you feel more settled, reconsider the task you need to get done. Write it down on a clean sheet of paper and notice the thoughts and feelings that come to your mind and body. Do you notice the difference? In this more calm state, what words can you choose to gently motivate yourself? How much easier is it to avoid ordering yourself around while you are feeling more settled and connected to the outside world?

For managers, the key to motivating employees rests with the quality of the relationship – how well do they treat their employees? Likewise, the key to motivating yourself is correlated with how well you treat yourself. Zen motivation allows you to motivate yourself from a more grounded, connected state. When you do, your tendency to order yourself around will vanish and your productivity will increase. Best of all, you’ll be respecting yourself more.

Mike Bundrant is an NLP trainer with the iNLP Center. Visit iNLP for a free personal development mini course and learn more about the Zen Motivation Twitter Party.

Image courtesy of phoeric.

Download the Free eBook Work Happy the Google Way * Post from: Work Happy Now!

Almost everyone loves the story of the tortoise and the hare. It’s a classic.

I hate it!

It’s too limiting.

If everyone thinks of themselves at the tortoise, nothing would get done. Yes, I understand the story’s concept. If you stick with something you’ll win the marathon in the end.

The rabbit has the superpower of speed and that’s great, but like any great strength he lacks passion and focus. This is where I actually love the book.

Yes, I admit. I love the book too!

Superpowers

The book makes the perfect case for making better use of your superpowers. If you love something it doesn’t mean you should actually make a career out of it because it may not be a strength of yours.

As you know I don’t like people who just center on their strengths. They forget about the passion and the focus that it takes do great work.

Too often we think that because we love something that we can turn it into a strength. This is possible, but usually very painful.

You wouldn’t tell a 10^th grader with weak math skills to stick with it and try to become an engineer. The same thing goes for a 10^th grader who hates math, but is good at. You would tell a 10^th grader who has great math skills and is interested in the concepts to try to become an engineer because they have strength and passion to make it happen.

Aesop should have focused on the rabbit’s lack of focus and passion. I know it wouldn’t have made such an inspiring story. Even though it would have been more true to life.

Your perspective

When you look at yourself as the tortoise you are conceding that you don’t have the speed to keep up, but you hope that everyone around you falters. This negative perspective will hold you back. There are plenty of rabbits out there who are passionate and focused. You can’t rely on other people to falter to win the race.

You have to look at yourself as a rabbit. Look at what core superpowers you possess and how you can do work that you are passionate about and gets you in the zone. It’s these powers that will help you create a career that brings happiness and success.

Download the Free eBook Work Happy the Google Way * Post from: Work Happy Now!

Whenever I’m asked to interview someone I only do it if I have a burning desire to ask that person a certain question. Peter Buffett fell into this category, so when his publicist contacted me about a possible interview I jumped on it.

I wanted to ask Peter if people were jealous that his family was rich. Being the son of Warren Buffett one of the most famous people on the planet can draw a lot of attention, positive and negative, so I was curious about his experiences.

I was amazed by Peter’s grounded nature and willingness to think before he speaks. I should have known he would be a great interview.

I recorded the interview for all of you to listen to:

Click here to listen to the Peter Buffett interview

(Right click to download the audio to your computer for later use.)

Some of the highlights in the Peter Buffett interview is:

• Happiness comes not from where you are, but your take on life.
• Money doesn’t fill those empty holes.
• Pay attention or pay with tension.
• No matter how good we think someone else has it they struggle too.
• Everyone has something to teach you. As long as you are willing to listen you will walk away from any interaction a better person.

The audio is a lot better than my highlights, so check it out when you have a chance. There are some really good gems in there to help your career and life.

Download the Free eBook Work Happy the Google Way * Post from: Work Happy Now!

Editor’s note: this is a guest post from Kaley Klemp the Co-Author of The Drama-Free Office

It’s gossip, turf wars, water cooler talk, and the chronic complainer no one can stand. When you talk with people about the organizations they work for, it’s common to hear about the “Drama” plaguing their companies: the energy-draining behaviors that keep people from focusing on the creative projects and basic business practices that make the company successful.

If we could just get through the drama, the business decisions and real work isn’t that hard…

Blame Game

It’s easy to blame drama on others.  After all, you’re the good guy in these dynamics; why don’t they get it?  One of the most difficult challenges for aspiring leaders is to “own their stuff”—to acknowledge that they are equally responsible for creating any situation where drama exists.

I learned this lesson working on a writing project with another author – my dad. He had some great ideas that I was happy to work with. But then he became controlling. It was easy for me to see how things were falling apart – and it was his fault! He was the one who wasn’t listening. He was the one who was setting impossible deadlines. I was ready to take all I knew about eliminating drama and apply it to him.

Four Energy-draining Personalities

Most drama is caused by four primary energy-draining personalities that sabotage workplace collaboration and synergy:

• Complainer
• Controller
• Cynic
• Caretaker.

The Complainer is the one who is never at fault – not enough time, resources or support. The Controller has to be in charge – perhaps micromanaging, sometimes being the bully. The Cynic must be right; often pointing out how others’ ideas will never work and making fun of the person who brought it up. The Caretaker wants to be liked so much that they say yes to everything, which becomes a problem when they bite off more than they can chew and they miss deadlines.

Like me, most people want to start with the question: how do I help others change? But, we have found that before you can guide others, you have to take inventory of your interaction strengths and the ways you sabotage relationships. The strength inventory is usually easy. It’s fun to appreciate your talent and amazing ability to do what you do. The sabotage inventory is more difficult. It requires the vulnerability and courage to seek others’ candid observations and advice about your behavior.

Watch Yourself

Taking my own advice, I asked myself what my part was in creating the drama. I wondered which Drama personalities I was using that were sabotaging us. I noticed how I had fallen into Complainer. I didn’t have enough time to do everything he asked and his requests were too hard. I realized that I would have micromanaged someone acting the way I was. Then I saw my Cynic. The enthusiasm I had at the beginning of the project had become critical… I saw everything wrong with what we were doing, but didn’t offer any suggestions to change. Once I saw myself in these drama roles, I could shift into taking responsibility – renegotiating our deadlines and making suggestions for how we could change the writing to be better.

By identifying and correcting the four drama roles (Complainer, Controller, Cynic, Caretaker), you are well on your way to eliminating drama. If you want even more clarity, invite your work colleagues, family members, and friends to give you timely, direct feedback.

Quick Drama Reducing Tips

Here is a quick way to start looking at how these drama roles show up for you.  Ask friends and coworkers:

• Where do you see me complaining? Not taking responsibility for my situation?
• Where do you see me controlling? Taking over and micromanaging?
• Where do you see be being cynical? Discounting others or being sarcastic?
• Where do you seem me care-taking? Rescuing others instead of letting them do things on their own?

You can also take a free drama assessment for yourself. Let me know what you find out about yourself. And what can you do to change?

Kaley Klemp and Jim Warner are the authors of The Drama-Free Office: A Guide to Healthy Collaboration with Your Team, Coworkers, and Boss.

Download the Free eBook Work Happy the Google Way * Post from: Work Happy Now!

“The more intensely we feel about an idea or a goal, the more assuredly the idea, buried deep in our subconscious, will direct us along the path to its fulfillment.”

- Earl Nightingale

Cells are the foundation of life. Each cell works together to help you survive. Unnourished cells become sluggish. It’s these cells that are starving. They don’t just want to live they want to thrive.

You must constantly feed these cells to keep them energized. That means eating right, sleeping well and feeding your curiosity every single day.

You’ve seen a train pulling over a hundred freight cars behind them. It takes a long time for a train to get the whole load moving, but once it does it requires a lot less energy to maintain velocity.

Your Internal Train

Your mind, heart, and cells want to do amazing work. They want work they can get lost in, be so consumed that time ceases to exist. The best way to do this is to find a deeper purpose behind your work. If you are working for the paycheck the internal train will stall on a regular basis. There is never enough money to compensate you for your time away from things you truly love.

As I was doing research on various people, I discovered underlying truths to people who loved what they did and loved making money while doing it.

These concepts are:

• Know your purpose
• Have a deep understanding of your needs
• Enjoy the process

Gary Hirshberg, the CEO of Stonyfield Farms, is the perfect example of being guided from his internal passion train instead of external needs.

Purpose must be your greatest focus

Gary is a serial entrepreneur who started in business teaching sustainable agricultural practices. He partnered with Stonyfield farms to initially help pay for his sustainable farming school. Eventually he jumped all in. He believed the world needed healthier dairy products and people would pay for it. He borrowed money from family, friends, and anyone who would believe in his organic yogurt. His mother in-law believed that Gary would succeed because he couldn’t see himself failing.

What project have you recently worked on where you refused to fail? (i.e. cooking an amazing meal, teaching your child to read)

Why was this work so important to you?

The purpose behind your work is where you will find the greatest motivation. It’s this intrinsic motivation that stirs your cells into action.

Deep Understanding of Your Needs

Gary has a deep need to create. As a serial entrepreneur he was an environmental activist, windmill-maker, author, and noted entrepreneur when he joined Stonyfield Farms. He needs to create.

What do you need to create? (By actually writing out what you need to create you are planting the seed to actually reach this goal.)

Why do you need to create this thing?

Every career is filled with choices. For every good choice you make, you will probably make two bad choices. When you understand your needs you will be able to make adjustments so they aren’t off course for very long.

Enjoy the process

Gary started Stonyfield by doing every job possible. He milked cows, shoveled manure, and delivered the yogurt to stores. He was a man on a mission. If he didn’t enjoy getting dirty, he would have stayed in the safety of his institute. I bet he is glad that he doesn’t have to do these difficult jobs now, but during these early days it was needed and even loved.

What actions do you enjoy?

Why do you enjoy these actions?

Finding a way to enjoy the process comes back to purpose, understanding what your goals are, and what it takes to accomplish them.

Career Values

“The world is full of people that have stopped listening to themselves or have listened only to their neighbors to learn what they ought to do, how they ought to behave, and what values they should be living for.” – Joseph Campbell

Your values should align with your career. Do you believe in earth conservation, but work for a company that paves over large acres of land? This example is extreme, but it happens all the time. People rationalize their choices and hate themselves for doing it.

You have to understand what values you need to live to be happy.

My top 5 career values are:

• Have fun
• Stay curious
• Seek the truth
• Enjoy the process
• Teach my knowledge

If I can’t do this in my job, I refuse to work. I absolutely need every one of these concepts to be happy.

As you may have noticed, my values are very broad. I worked for some pretty lousy bosses and still was able to live these concepts. Every part of my career, good and bad, led me to where I am now. My gratitude for my terrible and amazing career teachers is unwavering.

What values do you need to be happy in your career?

Be a Truth Seeker

One of my favorite truth seekers is Hugh Macleod of Gaping Void, a person who has learned to optimize his superpowers and leverage them into a brilliant career.

Hugh is a cartoonist who turned his passions into a business. He started a blog, wrote and drew about his pain, and figured out how to make it profitable. He is commissioned for projects, sells prints of his work, writes books and speaks to audiences.

I first met Hugh at the South by South West (sxsw) web interactive conference in 2009. Before I saw him speak, I had heard of him and maybe checked out his blog once but never really knew of him until he talked on a panel called “From Blog to Book Deal.” He threw around the F-word, laughed at silly comments from the audience, and let his real personality out.

The best part of his talk was his ability to cut through the bullshit. He wasn’t afraid to stop someone in the middle of a question and tell them that they needed to look a little deeper within themselves.

His calls his cartoons “cube grenades” because they help people see their own truth. People want someone who can cut through the fog and help them see life clearly.

When you are searching for truth you can help people get closer to their truth, too. It’s why I became a business coach. I wanted to seek my truth and now I want to help people develop their careers to help them live their truth.

Gary Hirshberg, the CEO of Stonyfield Farms, refused to let his dream die. Now his success allows him to sit on the boards of Dannon Yogurt, Applegate Farms, and many more great companies. He put himself in position to influence these companies to create more sustainable farming practices.

Your Turn

What is the truth that you seek?

How can you help people understand this truth?

* Join us at Party Biz Connect. We throw Twitter parties to help people launch their cool stuff that they’re putting out into the world. Marketing is changing, it’s about relationships. We all need to find ways to build relationships in a way that’s fun and doesn’t feel like work.

* Social Media Examiner has a cool post about LinkedIn (Are you a member?). It’s his 100,000,000 members. It’s a great networking tool, so if you haven’t joined up yet, go check it out.

If you found this post insightful, you will probably like these too:

• How to Unlock Brilliant Solutions
• What Would You do Differently in Your Career?

Image courtesy of Gabriela Camerotti

Download the Free eBook Work Happy the Google Way * Post from: Work Happy Now!

Editor’s note: This is a guest post from Kole McRae of Office Buddha

I used to be a door to door salesman. I would get up around 6am to spend a 10 hour day selling phone services to people who didn’t really need them. I hated the job and dreaded each morning (I got no days off) but for some strange reason I just kept on doing it.

The money was pretty good. It covered rent and food and it let me go out and have fun whenever I felt like it. I reasoned that I only had to do it for a few years and then I could take a 2 year break and just live off my savings. So things sucked right now, the future would rock.

In reality I was lying to myself. Every since I was a kid it had been beaten into me that you have to suffer if you want something good. You suffer through school to get a good job, suffer through 50 or more years of work to get a good retirement. You’re whole life would be suffering just so you could get maybe 20 years of fun.

This is completely wrong. You can be happy now AND in the future. All you have to do is get your priorities right.

Priorities

Chances are your priorities right now center around money. It’s understandable why they would be. Without money you can’t afford a place to stay, food to eat, nights out with the girls, etc. You think that if you work hard all this week you’ll have enough money to have a fun night out on Saturday.

This is an old way of thinking that used to work incredibly well. Back in the olden days you’d get paid every week for the labour you put in. Do manual labour for 40 hours and you’d be able to party all weekend.

Things have changed though, the work we do isn’t manual any more. Most of us work in an office doing what I like to call ‘high’ thinking. We come up with strategies, use creativity and make managerial decisions.

I have an alternative: prioritize based on happiness.

Right Now

What’s going to make you happy right this second? To tell your boss his haircut looks ugly and that he can take your job and stuff it?

Well, you probably shouldn’t do that.

What you can do is start work on making it so you can. Do you have a business idea burning at the back of your head? How about a novel that you know will be an instant best seller? Do you want to rock out on a stage, guitar in hand?

Why aren’t you working on that?

These days it’s become incredibly easy to make money doing what you love. Look at all the independent authors making millions. So start writing your business plan, start writing that novel. Go and take those guitar lessons you always wanted to do. You’re happiness is far more important than what your boss may want.

You’ll find as you do this that you are already feeling happier. Stress will melt away and you won’t worry about getting fired any more.

Now here is the fun part. Start having fun every day. Don’t worry about working late or doing your work at home. Instead go to a movie or out to the bar. Do something that makes you smile.

The value of money changes every day. One day an American dollar is worth its weight in gold, the next it could be worth nothing. Happiness on the other hand will always be valuable. Plus, to earn happiness, you don’t have to suffer. You just have to smile.

Full Circle

A few weeks after making this realization I was able to walk into my bosses office and tell him where to shove my job. I’d taken the time to apply to college, figure out all the financing (you know if you look hard enough you can go to college for free and make something of yourself).

Walking into his office with a huge grin on my face was the most exhilarating feeling of my life. I was literally shaking with excitement as I sat down and gave him the ‘bad’ news.

I’m a professional writer now and love every minute of my life. I don’t have to worry about dressing up nice or pretending to like someone I don’t. I now value my happiness above any other thing in existence.

How about your priorities? Is family more important than work? How about your health? You do know stress has been linked with heart disease right? That can’t be good for your health.

My Tip

The best advice I can give is to write down all of your priorities. Make a simple list that you can look at every day. Then when you have to make a decision take a look at the list and use it to help.

When you realign you’re priorities you’ll find life gets far better.

Your Turn

Are you living your priorities?

How can you tweak your career so you can live more of your values?

Kole of Office Buddha is a writer and all round nice guy. He was built by a mad scientist with the parts of lesser writers. He was made to destroy the world but ends up just eating ramen all day and writing. His work has been published in newspapers, national magazines, blogs around the world and even on the radio.

* Follow me on Twitter. Join over 3,700 people who get happiness tips, productivity tips, and thought provoking quotes each day.

* I’ve been doing a lot more audio recently and one of my favorite audio editing tutorials is from Pace Smith of the Connection Revolution.

If you found this post insightful, you will probably like these too:

• 7 Ways to Have a Good Relationship With Your Boss
• 6 Tips on How to Have a Productive Day at Work

Image courtesy of Refracted Moments

Download the Free eBook Work Happy the Google Way * Post from: Work Happy Now!

The winter is a time for reflection.

I used to be a very bi-polar and unhappy person. It’s why I started writing. I needed to release the crappy thoughts sitting on me like a big stinky turd, so I could move on to projects I enjoyed.

There was nothing medically wrong with me. I was just me.

It’s actually been a beautiful ride so far. I realize this after many hours of yoga, meditation and journaling. My ability to reframe a difficult situation has helped me improve my happiness by leaps and bounds.

I remember the time my first boss called me a monkey. It was a slap in the face. I literally felt the sting of pain when I heard those words.

Opinions

Just the other day that sting came back when someone commented on my YouTube video on the effects of fast food. They called me sickly and pale, but what really hurt was their opinion of me being a mentally slow narrator. There was this brief moment of “was he right?” My arch nemesis began to rip back into my thoughts.

I’m not here to let other people opinions affect how I do my work. I’m tired of trying to align myself with the masses. I tried to do it for over 20 years. Each time I tried, I missed the mark.

I’m here to help people who want my help. That’s it. I can’t waste my time on worrying about what other people think of my work. I can only be as awesome as I can be.

Vulnerability

You can’t do great work until you allow yourself to be vulnerable.  That means taking a stand and not worrying about what other people think. If you are too afraid of the jerks out there, you won’t be creating conversations with people that want to hear about what you really have to say.

You have to release your attachment to what other people are saying. Other people’s opinions aren’t you.

You need to practice letting go of people who like to drop turds on your work, so you can move on to better and bigger projects.

Today I want to start the Chest Clearing Club (CCC) so we can move on to projects that make us happy. I want people to leave comments on things that are bothering them so they can move on to the enjoyable stuff. We can’t let our pasts get in the way.

Your Turn

So what kind of work are you doing that sucks your energy?

What can you do to stop letting other people’s opinions dictate your choices?

It’s not so much creating a solution right now. Let’s identify what sucks about our careers and then figure out how to create a plan and move on to something better.

Side Note: I contributed to a really cool project called “The Great Life Philosophies.” Joe Wilner put the project together and I’m very impressed by the contributions. It’s a collection of 12 well-known bloggers who give their best advice. You can download the ebook for free here.

* Join over 1,400 people who have already subscribed to the FREE 10 part E-Course on Leveraging Your Superpowers. Learn how to discover and leverage your superpowers so you can do amazing work. (Sign up is in the top left corner)

If you found this post insightful, you will probably like these too:

• Fire Cracker, A Lousy Day and Multiply It By 7
• 6 Tips on How to Have a Productive Day at Work

Image courtesy of Salim Virji

Download the Free eBook Work Happy the Google Way * Post from: Work Happy Now!

Editor’s note: This is a guest post from Michelle of Wicked Whimsy.

At any give time, there are a great amount of people who are working their current job as a “day” job or a “right now” job, while they work on their dream job or passion projects on the side. I know I’ve done my share of this, and sometimes, it’s not easy! If you feel forced into your work arrangement, it can make you resentful, angry, and unproductive at work – which doesn’t do anyone any favors, since you’re spending most of your waking hours there! If this happens to you, try using the following tips to improve your attitude & productivity at your day job.

Set goals

Instead of doing the bare minimum to get by, set aside a few minutes each week to think of ways you can go above and beyond, putting emotional labor into your work and not just “showing up”. If you’re motivated by something intrinsic (like a feeling of accomplishment) instead of extrinsic (money), your satisfaction when you complete your goals is likely to skyrocket. A great book on this topic is Linchpin, by Seth Godin.

Make a list of things your day job provides for you

Karl has written before about the power of gratitude, and this is another great example of it. Instead of thinking “My day job makes me get up early five days a week and spend 40 hours slogging away”, think of the things you couldn’t have without your day job. Try to get creative with your list – instead of saying “my apartment”, say “my two bedroom home in the heart of the art district”, or instead of saying “cat food”, say “the ability to feed my beloved pets”. Make the list as long as you can, and keep it on hand for when you start getting frustrated with work.

Make it a game

This doesn’t mean, don’t take your day job seriously – just maybe not quite as seriously. If you’re finding it impossible to have fun at your day job, make an effort to make it fun. Give yourself points for handling a customer or coworker successfully & professionally, subtract points if you don’t. At the end of the day, add up your total. If your points are above a certain number, treat yourself to your favorite meal.

Work to improve your environment

If you have control over a small amount of space, improve it. Add pictures of things that make you happy or your list of things your job provides for you. Any time you start feeling frustrated, take a deep breath and look at these things to remind yourself of the positive things your work brings into your life. Make an effort to improve your work environment in other ways as well – try instituting a no gossip rule for yourself when talking to coworkers. Gretchen Rubin recounts a tale in the Happiness Project of a friend who worked under a notoriously difficult boss. Gretchen’s friend made a rule for herself that she wasn’t going to say anything negative about her boss or his habits, and that if others were saying negative things, she’d walk away. Not surprisingly, the friend turned out much happier with her job than her coworkers, and even found herself liking her boss.

Watch your labels

This can be one of the toughest tips to follow. If you’re constantly referring to yourself – out loud or in your head – as a “wage slave”, that’s going to be reflected in your attitude and the way you act at work. Remind yourself that the place you work for is renting your time, and that your time is valuable. If you feel like the title your place of employment gives you isn’t very empowering – say, secretary, or sales associate – think of a spin on it that does make you feel good (instead of secretary, try administrative assistant).

There’s five ways to start improving your attitude & productivity at your job right away. What are your favorite ways to flip a negative work attitude around?

Michelle is a rainbow haired freelance writer & blogger located in Austin, TX. She writes about life creation for thoughtful renegades at Wicked Whimsy. You can sign up for her free e-course, Finding Yourself 101, here.

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* You may want to check out How to Discover Your Superpowers over at my marketing blog Super Power Coach. It’s a lot easier to have a great attitude and stay productive when you are doing work you enjoy, gets you in the zone, and plays to your strengths.

If you found this post insightful, you will probably like these too:

• Your Attitude and How it Affects Your Career
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Image courtesy of Dunechaser

Download the Free eBook Work Happy the Google Way * Post from: Work Happy Now!

People love the idea of living life by their own rules. It’s a beautiful thought. We all want to create the life that we need to be happy. Some of us are better at it than others.

Creating a great career is a lot harder than it seems. It’s why we need to learn from other people. We can’t be blindly shooting for career happiness. We have to plan, learn, mess up, and adjust. It’s a process.

It’s why I recommend the book Art of Nonconformity (Amazon affiliate link) from Chris Guillebeau. It’s a well thought out book that helps a person create a more flexible and much happier life.

My favorite part about this book is Chris doesn’t sugar coat the concept of creating a career of your dreams. It’s hard work. It’s a beautiful process, but not easy.

* Join over 1,300 people who have already subscribed to the FREE 10 part E-Course on Leveraging Your Superpowers. Learn how to discover and leverage your superpowers so you can do amazing work. (Sign up is in the top left corner)

* My favorite trait of Chris Guillebeau’s is his ability to care so deeply. He is not one of those big bloggers that writes to hear himself think. He writes to connect. One of my most recent posts was about him asking his tribe what was the bravest thing that they’ve done. Click here to check out some of the cool responses.

If you found this post insightful, you will probably like these too:

• 10 Common Career Mistakes
• 19 Reasons to Buy Zappos’ Delivering Happiness Book

Download the Free eBook Work Happy the Google Way * Post from: Work Happy Now!