The Law of Attraction (LoA) gets a bad rep because of cheesy YouTube Videos and terrible books. They want to make the concept simple and enticing, but in doing so they lose much of the life changing impact that the practice can have. I didn’t believe until I started believing. Imagine that.

We are who we think we are and that’s how we accomplish our goals. If we don’t believe we can write a great book, hike the Appalachian trail, or create a career that will make us so happy that we can’t believe our luck then it won’t happen.

Let’s break the LoA down. First, we have to understand confidence.

What is confidence?

Confidence is our belief in our abilities. When we believe we can accomplish a goal, our minds set to work to make our goals a reality.

I’m working with a client who is afraid to reach out to old customers. He has enough steady work right now, but he knows his slow time is coming soon. He is afraid of the responses that he will receive. There is a reason why they are no longer customers. Right?

My client doesn’t want to face this reality. So he continues to do the same things he always does – wait for business to come to him.

He may have confidence in many areas, but in his business he lacks the confidence to learn from past mistakes.

Creating a Positive Mindset

Happy people have a resilience that unhappy people don’t have. They believe that good things will come into their lives. Even when faced with a terrible tragedy, they find a way to create a positive spin.

They may not call it LoA, but that’s exactly what they are doing. They are sending out intentions and expecting them to come back.

When you believe in positive outcomes, you train the brain to expect positive results.

My Thick Skull

I never believed that I deserved a wonderful career that made me happy. I thought it was something that might happen, but I was more concerned with making money. So my first job out of college was for money, but the work didn’t resonate with me. I wrote poetry on my breaks and during lunches.

My thick skull wouldn’t comprehend the possibility that my job was all wrong for me.

I worked because I had to. I never thought to align my strengths, focus, and passions into a career. I had yet to discover my superpowers.(create “what are career superpowers?” post).

The layers of my skill finally eroded away to open my eyes to my error. I could build a business on the side as I discovered my superpowers.

Once I believed in my superpowers, the LoA finally began to work for me. People began to seek me out because I put out intentions to the world that I could help other people. I trusted my powers offered them to the world.

Using the LoA on Your Career

You have to believe that you have dormant superpowers that need to be discovered and harnessed. If you don’t, there isn’t much career leverage that you can create. If you do believe that you have “the spark” inside of you then you will take yourself to amazing places.

1. Believe in Your Skills

I’m not talking about blind belief, but honest belief that allows you to understand your superpowers. By recognizing your kryptonite and understanding how to maximize your superpowers, you’ll build the confidence you need to offer your skills to the world.

2. Create a Vision

So many of my clients don’t know what type of work will make them happy because they don’t visualize their perfect workday. They see what other people have and think that they want that same thing. Then when they are doing that thing they realize it is all wrong for them.

The more you work on projects that make you happy, the clearer your visions will become.

3. Find Work You are Passionate about

You can’t force yourself to enjoy work that sucks. You may apply all the engagement tools in the book, but if you don’t have any intrinsic motivation will never spark a fire. You must do work that makes you feel energized. It’s easy to offer up your skills when you are doing work that energizes you.

4. Find Work that Captures Your Interest

Focus has been a weakness of mine. I have always liked so many things that I never took the time to master my skills. After realizing this I began to practice the art of focused attention.

I set an egg timer for 25 minutes and made sure that I did not become distracted from the task at hand. I rewarded myself with 15 minutes of Yoga after completing a task. I realized that my most productive times were the times between 1pm – 5pm, so I made sure to do my hardest tasks during this time.

The more I practiced the art of staying focused, the better I got at it. Now I can write for an hour straight, take a quick stretch break and then write for another hour without a problem.

You need to find out what helps you stay focused on your important work. Have fun experimenting with different ideas and eventually a few will work for you.

5. Chunk Your Tasks

Many tasks aren’t just straight forward. There needs to be some planning in order to make the tasks feel feasible. A short email doesn’t need much planning, but an email proposal does. So you must divide your work into small chunks in order to stay on task and avoid feeling overwhelmed. Five minutes of planning before I start a small project can save me an hour of procrastinating.

6. Improve Your Emotional I.Q.

Every career has its difficult moments. Whether we are working with difficult people or stuck for a solution, it’s natural to get upset. We can’t avoid our emotions, so we need to work on these issues on a regular basis. Whenever I’m feeling upset, overwhelmed, or just plain stressed out I go for a walk. I get away from my work and let my mind relax.

You need to find ways to work with your emotions. You may want to keep a one-sentence journal about what upsets you and why. By doing this every day for even just a month, you’ll begin to see a pattern. Once you recognize a pattern you can focus your energy on processing these emotions quickly so you can get back to doing work that makes you happy.

7. Develop a Flexible Mindset

You career is constantly fluctuating. The people you meet in your business, at work, or online will bring new opportunities. You need to be able to adjust your plans quickly to adapt to your changing environment. I’ve met people who have turned down work because it didn’t fit their perception of themselves. It’s important to be open to the idea of taking your career in the direction that your clients or company push you toward. As long as you can still get excited about the work.

Being too fixated on what you want your career to look like will create a lot of heartache. By being flexible, you will be more likely to become happy and successful.

Infusing the Law of Attraction into Your Career

Successful people are successful because they expect to be. When they fail, they find ways to adjust their plans.

You must believe that you deserve good things to happen in your career. If you don’t, it’s harder to attract the right clients to support your business. It’s difficult to connect with the right co-workers who are willing to help you build your career.

I’ve read that most personal development information works because people want to create positive change in their lives. They use all kind of resources to learn.

You can have the career of your dreams, but you have to put in the hard work to attract the right people and projects into your life. Once you build your superpowers and network, your career happiness will multiply.

How have you used the LoA to improve your career?

* Are you on Twitter? Then join over 3,400 people who get my stress relief tips, happiness ideas, and thought provoking quotes. @workhappynow

* Catherine Caine of Be Awesome Online write a post about looking professional online. In the old days we could were a fancy suit to impress, now we have the internet barrier. We need to appear professional, but it’s harder to do since people need more than a picture and a nice sales page to see how good you are. Check out Catherine’s post, very much worth your time.

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

* I was afraid to publish this post because it may seem too simple for some of my advanced readers, but even my advanced work happiness people had to start somewhere. And yes, even advanced people need refreshers. So here it is.

Work has hundreds of little annoyances that can kill your happiness if you don’t create a system to deal with your problems.

Co-workers, bosses, and tedious tasks can throw us off our emotional center. We must find creative ways to deal with these issues.


1. Understand the root problem.

You.

You are the cause of your pain. It hurts to actually write that because I know some people will tune the rest of this article out, but it must be said.

You are the one who interprets people’s actions. You are the one who makes the experience positive or negative.

2. Listen to your favorite song.

Sometimes we just need to get away. Pull out your iPod and blast your favorite song. I have a few songs that help me gain perspective, but right now it’s Everybody’s Gotta Live by Love.

I can’t stay mad when I’m listening to this great tune.

3. Write 5 solutions to your most difficult problem.

Every problem has a solution. Sometimes we just need to take time to step back and find the solution that will meet our needs.

Make a list of 5 solutions. Pick the best one and try to apply it. If it doesn’t work then pick the next best one until you ease your pain.

4. Ask advice from a friend.

My friends are my rocks. I can lean on them and they never run away. They are always there to listen to my latest rant.

I’ve learned not to just complain though. You must ask for their opinion and be willing to listen. Come right out and ask them for a solution. You’ll love the creative responses.

5. Create a ritual.

Annoyances are never going away. It’s what being human is all about.

Create a ritual to help channel your feelings. I love doing a little drawing of the situation. The act of creating a drawing out of my annoyance helps me deal with my feelings.

There is something calming in exaggerating a situation through a cartoon.

6. Know it won’t last.

Nothing lasts forever. Why does it seem like a difficult situation will make us feel like crap forever? Because we get sucked into the intense feelings that won’t seem to let go.

When this happens, look back on a difficult situation and notice how it feels afterwards. Most of my past difficulties were my greatest learning experiences. Like dealing with a roommate who smeared dog shit on my bed because he was high on acid. That haunted me for weeks, but now I know not to take people’s freak-outs personally.

7. Celebrate the pain.

An annoyance isn’t an annoyance if you can turn it into a celebration. I recently dealt with a failed attempt to speak at a conference. I was upset because I thought I had a shot, but they decided to hire someone else.

I tried to turn it into an event. I bought a small cake, some candles and created a lame song during lunch. I lit three candles and sang my song. The absurd nature of the situation forced me to laugh at myself and move on. I decided to call a few other organizations that would want my enlightening presentation.

8. Reframe your perspective.

It’s up to you to reframe a situation to help you become smart, stronger and happier. You can do this by creating emotional space. List as many perspectives as you can in order to help you gain a grip on your emotions. If your boss is being a jerk, then think about personal issues he might be dealing with, the overbearing father who influenced his personality, or possible bosses who might have taught him his terrible people skills.

Keep listing until you create that emotional separation that allows you to see all the possible sides to a person or task.

9. Use your annoyances as a growth opportunity.

You can either use annoyances to make you happier or you can let them tear you down. Your choice.

What do you do to deal with your annoyances at work?

* Join over 800 people who have already subscribed to the FREE Happy at Work 10 Week eCourse. It will arrive in your inbox every Monday morning, when you need it the most. (Sign up is in the top left corner)

* Many of  you are bloggers and try to use social media to it’s full potential, but it hard. So very stink’n hard. Tess over at the Bold Life wrote about failing as social media. Check it out.

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Image courtesy of Shawn Econo

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

Arrrrrgh days (Mondays) are the most difficult transition for most of us. We just had two glorious days off doing stuff we chose to do. Now we are back at work and doing stuff other people are telling us to do. We all have to do stuff we don’t feel like doing. Even if you are the CEO, your share holders, board members and customers are telling you what to do.

By adjusting the way you view your experience, you have the ability to be happy on a Monday.

You have to take some of the control back and make yourself feel good. I’m not talking about eating chocolate cake. I’m talking about doing small things that can redirect your focus.

The C.A.P.A.S.C.H. Method

1. Call a friend and Talk about the Fun Topics

2. Allow Your Feelings be as They Are

3. Plan Your Day

4. Ask a Co-worker How Their Weekend Went

5. Stop Complaining

6. Clean Your Desk

7. Help a Co-worker

1. Call a Friend and Talk about Fun Topics.

On your way into work or at work, call a friend and talk about enjoyable topics. This is one of my favorite ways to laugh and pick up my day before I start work on a Monday. I recently had a conversation with an old friend about when we were kids and how we dipped a dandelion in a sewer leak and made the neighbors smell the flower. I’m not proud of this, but we were laughing so hard I thought I should pull over.

We should take advantage of little perks like these.

2. Ask a Co-worker How Their Weekend Went

Most of us probably ask our co-workers how their weekends went, but the problem is that we don’t listen when they answer. I would like you to try asking how a co-worker’s weekend went and really listening instead of waiting for them to stop so you can tell them about your weekend.

By really listening to them, you become more engaged with the person. You start to discover what they like and don’t like. When it comes time to ask for help, you know who cares about what and which people can really help.

You also open yourself up to feeling empathy toward the other person. Later that Monday when they don’t have that report ready for you, you will recall that story of how they rushed to the hospital. You’ll be a little more forgiving and understanding of other people’s feelings.

3. Plan Your Day

When you take the time to plan out your day, you will find it easier to accomplish your work. This is obvious, but many of us fail to do it.

I used to believe in the “fly by the seat of my pants” day, but my scattered brain had trouble focusing. I actually thought it helped my creativity, but it only hindered my focus. I decided to keep a master list and have a smaller list for smaller chunks of time. My master list was just a guide. My smaller list was made up of only the stuff I needed to get done in the next two hours. After the small list was done, I would make another list, take a break then come back and do some more work.

I felt more relaxed without trying to do three things at once. I accomplished more and felt better because I was accomplishing small chunks of tasks.

4. Allow Your Feelings to be as They Are

The more I study work happiness, the more I appreciate my feelings for what they are without wanting them to change. This internal acceptance allows us to blossom emotionally at work.

I used to be afraid of my weird sense of humor. Sometimes I push the envelope too much and talk about frog genitals. Ok, maybe not frog genitals, but something along those lines. I was holding back so I wouldn’t get my feelings hurt. I was judging myself before I even gave other people the chance to accept me.

You need to learn to let your feelings get hurt so you can be the real you at work. Once you realize that it’s ok to feel embarrassed, sad, or angry, then you will be more accepting and loving of yourself. That’s where the true work happiness begins: loving who you are and not being afraid to let it all hang out.

Believe me, you won’t be as depressed on a Monday morning when you can bust out a frog genitals joke for everyone to snicker along with.

5. Stop Complaining

When you complain, you are signaling to yourself that life sucks. The more that you complain, the more the suckiness magnifies.

There are many crappy parts to a Monday, but there are almost as many good parts too. I was a chronic complainer, so I put myself on a 30 day diet of No Complaining. It helped me reduce my complaining and focus more on positive thoughts.

Try to eliminate complaining for a whole Monday and see how it makes you feel. And if you do complain notice when you do and how you can substitute a positive thought or remark in its place.

6. Clean Your Desk

Your office, desk, and surrounding area is vital to your happiness. Elizabeth Scott, M.S., of About.com wrote that you need to work in a soothing space so you will feel more nurtured by your surroundings.

I recently added some phrases that energize me to my corkboard above my computer, organized my pile of papers, and put away any unnecessary books and magazines. My mood lifted and I felt more relaxed as I worked on my next blog post.

7. Help a Coworker

Too much of our own energy is spent on trying to make ourselves happy. We forget that helping others allows us to forget about our own worries, assists someone in need, and makes us feel good.

I recently had a few coworkers help me out. We had to rush out an order of letters to our customers. I thought I had to do it all by myself. They chipped in and we got it done in ¼ of the time. We all got to hang out and talk during that time too.

It made my Monday turn from a crappy day into an enjoyable one.

How About You

What do you do when you are feeling down on a Monday?

* Need a boost to your work happiness? Then check out the Happy at Work Project and start one yourself.

* Marc and Angel hack life published my article called 3 Communication Tips for Building Stronger Relationships. It’s a must read.

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Image courtesy of Foxtongue

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

Some days, work just drain you of energy. It’s hard to talk to a co-worker, client, and customer while maintaining an upbeat attitude.

It’s easy to focus on the negative. It’s that little devil on your shoulder that likes chewing your ear off until you can’t take anymore and you just give in.

You know this doesn’t help you feel any happier, and it sure as heck doesn’t make you more productive. So let’s do something about it.

1. Look for learning experiences

Each day has quite a few hidden gems, even when you are working on those projects that wear you out. Look for little moments that can teach you a lesson. For example, you can examine how you deal with your anger at a failed project. How quickly can you process your feelings and get back into a good work rhythm?

2. Feel the frustration and know that it’s only temporary

Your frustration can feel overwhelming. You probably have some days when you want to rage, quit, and never come back. Appreciate that you can feel such passion and know that it’s only a temporary state. When you know that it won’t last, it becomes more interesting and less gripping.

3. Fill in the gaps with positive conversations

Many of us work with negative people. Sometimes we are the negative person. We try not to be negative, but we all have moments of weakness. Try to find positive people when you are feeling negative. Let them steer the conversation. Just go along for the ride and let them bring you back up.

4. Take a mindful walk

Getting away from a situation can be a great way to press the restart button. I like to do this by taking a walk. A walk around the building or just a walk to the bathroom helps me release the pain. When I’m back at my desk, the positive energy flows back in and I’m ready to go.

5. Develop self talk that supports your choices

The words that you choose have a big impact on how you feel. If you use negative words, you’ll continue the negative feelings. So try encouraging yourself by thinking of the positives that you’ve been able to create from your work. When the negative thoughts start coming back in, just remind yourself that this is natural, but today you want to be positive and upbeat. Then find another positive to focus on. Do this again and again and again. After a few weeks you’ll notice that you are training your brain to extract a more positive angle from your work.

6. Work on projects that stimulate you

You probably do work sometimes that doesn’t resonate with you. We all have to do tedious work, but not all the time. Make time for exciting work. Between tasks, do work that will get your heart pumping a tad faster. This work will pump in the happier thoughts.

7. Listen to an upbeat song

I’m a big fan of music. It can even make me feel good when I had trouble sleeping and when I’m doing difficult work. Lately I’ve been listening to Everybody’s Gotta Live by Love. I dance in my chair for 3 minutes and then jump into my next task with fervor and a hop in my computer mouse.

Apply these today

When you can see your experiences as a way to build your happiness, you will create a more positive outlook at work. Try one of these techniques for a couple of weeks and see how much more positive you feel at work. Hey, it’s got the Work Happy Guy’s stamp of approval.

* It’s Spread-the-Love Day, when I encourage you to spread the word about Work Happy Now. You might:
> Forward the link to someone you think would be interested
> Link to a post on Twitter (follow me @workhappynow)
> Sign up for my FREE 10 Week E-Course and join over 700 people who have already improved their happiness at work. You will also receive a bi-monthly newsletter that gives you great tips and ideas on how to improve your career.
> Put a link to the blog in your Facebook status update
Thanks! I really appreciate any help. Word of mouth is the BEST.

* The CEO of Zappos, Tony, did an interview for uber popular blog Mashable called How To Deliver Happiness with Social Media. He mentioned me as someone he loves to follow on Twitter. I was honored.

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Image courtesy of rocket ship

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

Why do we only get so far before we hit a wall? We know the wall will eventually come,and every time it knocks us on our ass.

This happens because we let our frustration overpower our curiosity.

We forget to love this wall. Hug this wall. It’s there for a reason.

They show us how much we care. If we just gave up when we faced a challenge it probably mean that our hearts weren’t in it in the first place.

We hit a wall and we kick it for being “stupid.” This is just a wall. A wall can’t be stupid. But we are afraid to label ourselves as stupid so we pick something outside of ourselves to label.

Internal Dialogue

Out internal dialog has all gone out of whack. We stopped owning up to our own challenges. It’s just easier to blame “the wall” instead of ourselves.

At other times we do blame ourselves. Why are we so dumb? This thinking will also never lead to positive results.

In fact, it’s even worse because we are killing our confidence and our creativity.

Creativity Link

Last night I got stuck writing a blog post and couldn’t get the message right.

I growled, blamed my chair for being uncomfortable, then went to get myself a cup of tea.

The old me would have let frustration take over and I would have given up. Maybe I would try again the next day or give up entirely. But the present me uses my emotions to push me forward. It’s really just a game, finding the right combination to allow the right solution to appear.

I noticed that my brain was still working as I was preparing my tea. I was still searching for the link to get me to where I wanted to go.

Emotional Ride

That’s the difference between a successful project and a failed project.

The failure comes when a person stops linking his/her thoughts to new options.

We do need breaks. No one can keep linking to new solutions forever. Our brains and bodies get tired and we need rest to refresh our minds.

A successful person will use a break to pull his emotions out of frustration and allow the subconscious to chew on the problem for a little while.

Then when that person comes back to the project, the emotions are calm and a solution is eminent.

By allowing the brain to keep linking consciously and unconsciously, the creative motion keeps moving forward, your walls will only be speed bumps that allow you to enjoy the emotional ride.

Your Linking System

What do you do to love your wall when you are frustrated?

Once you can separate yourself from the need for a solution then you will be working with your energy instead of against it. It’s this love that will allow you to see more than one solution to achieve your desired results.

So go hug your wall. Watch how it makes you feel. Be that Katydid from the photograph above that doesn’t know that a wall is a terrible thing, just a resting place until she is ready to climb over the wall.

* Don’t miss out on any more great articles. Sign up for my RSS feed or email feed and you’ll stay updated on the latest tips and ideas to bring more happiness to your working life.

* We need to develop more ways to play at work. I’m glad Katie is spreading the word.

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Image courtesy of Martin LaBar (going on hiatus)

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

Every now and again, I like to bring you short interviews to give you a new perspective on work happiness. During my study of work happiness I have found that there are many paths to the same goal. Some people believe that loving what you do is a must, while other people believe that relationships are vital to enjoying the work that we do. Interviews are a great way to get out of your own perspective and see what other people are doing to be happy at work.

There are so many amazing people in the blogging world, but one of my more recent finds is Jason of Escape Adulthood. He and Kim (his wife) have created a business out of bringing the fun back into life.

The first impression of Jason was a video that I watched of a water balloon fight between Jason and Kim. They were sitting in chairs and throwing water balloons over their garage to see who had the better aim. It was right then that I was hooked. Having fun in life is a big part of being happy, so I’m glad to bring you an interview with Jason.

Karl: On a scale of 1- 10 (10 being very important) how important is work happiness to you? Why did you pick that number?

Jason: I would have to say 10. As a teenager, I worked at a car dealership and hated nearly every minute of it. But I knew it was only a part time job. Even more troubling were some of the mechanics who worked there that also seemed to hate every single minute of it. I decided right then and there that I’d do whatever it took to find a job that made me happy. Now that doesn’t mean it’s always easy or fun, but the challenges are what help make it interesting. Life is too short to spend most of it doing something you hate. Life is also too short to spend most of it doing something you only kinda like.

What is one task that annoys you? How do you make it more enjoyable or at least tolerable?

I’m not a big fan of the accounting side of things. As an entrepreneur, having a good handle on the finances is important, but paying bills and tracking expenses is my least favorite thing to do. So I do a couple of things to cope. I use a payroll service to take care of the check writing and let me know how much tax to pay Uncle Sam. I have an accountant who takes care of the annual corporate tax return. I hire someone to enter orders from our online store into our accounting software. And I schedule the rest of the stuff that I have to do early in the week so I have fun stuff to look forward to when I’m finished.

What is your favorite part of your job? Why?

There are two, and sometimes they overlap: 1) being creative and 2) making people think. That’s when I feel most alive and am most fully using the talents God’s given me. I’ve finally gotten to the point where those areas are where I spend the majority of my time, whether it’s through a speech, a blog post, or a drawing.

How do you maintain harmony between your working and non-working life?

For me, they blend together quite well. A few weeks ago, I spoke at a conference held in a resort that features three indoor water parks. I brought my wife and daughter with me to the program, and we spent some time the day before my talk splashing around. I was thinking that although it’s not unusual for a person to combine work and play with their family, it is a little unusual that for me, I’m kind of expected to. That’s freakin’ cool. Of course, this didn’t just happen; it required a lot of planning and effort and sacrifice along the way. Life balance is a real priority for me and Kim, and we are very mindful and intentional about how we spend our time. Contrary to the old adage, I like to think that I try to “preach what I practice,” which helps keep things pretty harmonious.

What is your favorite stress reliever?

Going for a walk by the lake on a sunny day. Easy. Simple. Cheap.

If you are feeling down, what do you do to lift your spirits?

Eat something comforting, like a big bowl of macaroni and cheese. If I’m ready for something a bit more productive, I’ll go for a walk, bring my iPod, and listen to songs that remind me about God’s love for me. My down moments usually are the result of me drifting too far away from him.

What is your biggest detriment to enjoying your work?

Just like anyone, it’s super easy to get bogged down in the details of the day-to-day. The stuff that piles up, needs to get done, and takes on an overblown sense of urgency. It’s always a challenge to keep from confusing the urgent with the important; a lot of the stuff we get stressed out about doesn’t amount to a hill of beans in the big picture. It’s important to regularly stop and reflect to maintain a sense of perspective. If you get too caught up in the busyness of life, stress piles up and you miss out on some of the best stuff.

What do you do to stay motivated and productive?

At first, the avoidance of going out to get a real job provided ample motivation. Then the pressure of paying rent (and now a mortgage) did the trick. But more and more, the gravity of this issue and how it affects families and relationships is what’s driving me. The speed of life continues to increase and create new challenges for people. Life balance is a real struggle. And there are too many people looking back on their life saying, “I wish I woulda…” The mission that motivates me is to help people have as few “I wish I wouldas” as possible.

If you could give work happiness advice to someone just starting their career in 140 characters or less (Twitter style) what would it be?

Don’t wait for permission. Follow your dreams. Work really hard. Don’t give up. And most importantly, don’t forget to have fun along the way.

If you want to learn how live with less stress and more fun then check out Jason’s blog Escape Adulthood.

* Join over 600 people who have already subscribed to the FREE Happy at Work 10 Week eCourse. It will arrive in your inbox every Monday morning, when you need it the most. (Sign up is in the top left corner)

* Terry Starbucker wrote Don’t Be A Victim of Success (Keep Climbing). I loved the concept of striving to bring more value every single day.

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

As I’m looking over January’s theme “Relaxing with my work”, I’m beginning to really see how hard I am on myself. I expect myself to master concepts that only great writers, CEO’s, and Zen masters fully understand.

Just because I tell myself to breathe all nice and deep and relaxed over the next week when I’m feeling stressed out doesn’t mean it will happen right away.

Maybe that should be a theme of the month. Stop being a big bully to myself.

I wanted to publish this review of my theme two weeks ago, but I felt like I was still processing my information. Now that I’m ready, let’s begin the review…

Week 1 – Breathing

The first week I wanted to focus just on my breathing. I found that I didn’t give myself goals that were well defined. Because of this I didn’t really get focused on my breathing until halfway into the week.

This is a weakness of mine that needs a little tending to.

When I did remember to take relaxed breaths I felt a lot better. My mood was serene and my mind was much more creative. For example, when I became tense, my breathing was shallow. When I relaxed I opened up my lungs and let buckets of air in. I became much happier.

It’s amazing how the breath is so closely tied to our happiness.

When I take the time to relax with my breath, it’s not hard to be happy. When I let my emotions carry me away, I lose track of my breath and happiness, constrict my breathing and creating a cycle of worry.

Week 2 – Muscles

The second week I wanted to focus on relaxing my muscles. Because last week’s goal of relaxing with my breath wasn’t very organized, I took a more disciplined approach.

I wrote down just one way that I could be more aware of my tense muscles.

So whenever I switched tasks, I focused on my muscles. I noticed if I was tensing them or just not paying attention to them.

By only focusing on one area of relaxing with my muscles, it was much easier to notice when I was straining and when I was relaxed.

Week 3 – Be Playful

The week 3 theme didn’t go as well as planned. It was too broad.

I tried to laugh quietly to myself when I noticed my breathing becoming shallow or my muscles tightening, but I had trouble connecting with this concept.

Maybe I should have been more imaginative. I’m not sure.

What do you think?

Week 4 – Watch the Changes

This was my favorite week. I noticed myself transitioning from one task to the next with a slight smile on my face.

The transition between working on reports then going to a meeting used to irritate me. My thoughts would stray to everything I didn’t like about this change. After relaxing with my work, my transitions were much smoother.

I had to attend an important meeting and instead of worrying about how boring it would be, I focused on enjoying the interactions. My muscles and thoughts were relaxed. I actually sat back in my chair and smiled. I couldn’t believe that I was privy to this cool little show.

Conclusion

I didn’t think that week 3 was a very good theme, but now looking back on it I wouldn’t have leaned back and smiled in that meeting during week 4. I was feeling playful. I was actually cracking jokes to boost the mood level in the room.

I enjoyed the concept of creating a theme of the month, but I felt a little too encumbered by the weekly process. I think I will move back to working on one concept each month without breaking it down into weeks. If I don’t see the progress that I expect from making habit changes then I’ll try another method.

What career or personal development theme would you create for yourself?

* Join over 600 people who have already subscribed to the FREE Happy at Work 10 Week eCourse. It will arrive in your inbox every Monday morning, when you need it the most. (Sign up is in the top left corner)

* Psychology today has an awesome piece about our inner voice and how to deal with the extremes within each of us. It’s called, The Wolf of Hate.

If you enjoyed this post then you will probably like this one too:

- January Theme of the Month – Relaxing With My Work
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Download the Free eBook Work Happy the Google Way * Post from: Work Happy Now!

Every now and again, I like to bring you short interviews to give you a new perspective on work happiness. During my study of work happiness I have found that there are many paths to the same goal. Some people believe that loving what you do is a must, while other people believe that relationships are vital to enjoying the work that we do. Interviews are a great way to get out of your own perspective and see what other people are doing to be happy at work.

On this blog I try to push myself outside of my comfort zone to a place where I’m a little afraid. I have to admit that I was a little afraid of interviewing Penelope Trunk. Not because her blog is űber popular or because she was the CEO of Brazeen Careerist a popular career networking site.

I was afraid because of how honest she is. She wouldn’t be afraid to call me out.

She wasn’t afraid to tell me that career happiness really is a crock of shit. Her words. She actually said it a few times. She explains how we overcomplicate life in the audio interview that I posted below. You’ll just have to listen to the audio to find out why she believes so strongly in her ideals.

The Pitfalls

She is right. We expect too much and almost always feel disappointed.

What a career really comes down to is our relationships. If we work with good people and enjoy the person that we are, that’s all that matters. The tedious tasks don’t feel so torturous.

Penelope makes reference to all the business data that indicates one of the best jobs for happiness is being a janitor. This career is usually filled with good-hearted people. They feel like they are making a difference at their job. They can easily see that if they aren’t there the place would go to hell. Many of you work in an office and don’t get such instant satisfaction. You don’t see a dirty room become clean in a half hour. Most office work seems invisible. There is always more and the work is always there.

Building Lasting Relationships

I liked that Penelope said that if you don’t like the people you work with, you need to quit. I agree. Not every job or workplace you work is a good fit. Sometimes you need to cut your losses and find a better place to work.

She also said that career advice is a “crock of shit.” I love this candor. She knows that her blog is filled with career advice, but most of it won’t make you any happier. She believes that we get more value out of building a lasting relationship with our spouse than we would get from any work. I don’t totally agree with this line of thought. I believe that our jobs can help us build our emotional intelligence, which will help us become happier. I also believe that people who are happy at work are happier at home. If we are doing something that stimulates us during the work day, we treat the people better at home. We carry the good feelings home from work.

By understanding more of our needs, we are able to connect more with our work and the people in our lives. If we feel that our work is making a positive difference, we feel happier because of the influence that we have in other people’s lives. It all comes back to relationships.

My Favorite Part

My favorite part of the interview is the ending. You’ll just have to listen to it and see what we laugh about. It’s a contradiction that pulls the whole interview together.

Enjoy. I know I did.

*Join over 600 people who have already subscribed to the FREE Happy at Work 10 Week eCourse. It will arrive in your inbox every Monday morning, when you need it the most. (Sign up is in the top left corner)

* Lance of the Jungle of Life and Katie of the Levity Project are trying to bring more fun and laughter into our lives. Check out what they are trying to do with car dancing videos.

If you enjoyed this post then you will probably like this one too:

- Career Renegade Interview
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Download the Free eBook Work Happy the Google Way * Post from: Work Happy Now!

Editor’s note: This is a guest post from Sara Lopez

You never quite realize how much your job affects your happiness until you have had a truly terrible job, or a truly phenomenal job. Just think about it, you spend 2/3 of your awake time at a place, surrounded by certain people, working for a specific cause­– this is called your career.

My name is Sara Lopez and I am the Brand Ambassador and Social Media Strategist for 8^th Continent Soymilk. I quite possibly have the best job in the world, however it was not always this way.

At one point I worked for a consulting firm in San Francisco that was so unappreciative I would trudge home considering where I went wrong on my career path and how I would ever fix it. I dreaded going in to work in the morning because I knew my skills were not utilized, nor did my employer notice them.

Utilize Social Media

The consulting firm was paying massive amounts to maintain communication and promotions with their clients. From email blasts to buying address lists they were scurrying to discover a way to inform the public of updates, send messages and create a virtual community. The one thing they were not doing was utilizing social media to reach new potential clients and to develop persistent two-way communication to promote loyalty.

The weekend before I was let go I went through raw data and cross-referenced it with all of the clients that were either on Facebook, Myspace, or Twitter accounts. Keep in mind; this was nearly two and a half years ago. I had brought up the importance of social media in countless meetings prior to this only to be dismissed as a young Gen-Y’er who was addicted to surfing the net for fun. I attempted to explain that with the curve of technology fast approaching­­– marketing and advertising was quickly slipping into a conversation and participation realm. The “Naïve Public” television and print had once targeted was shrinking at an alarming rate and would soon be miniscule or nonexistent.

Untapped Passion

As you have probably gathered by now, I have always been very passionate about social media, so I spent hours working on this report during the weekend– during my “free” time. After presenting this report to my boss, he quickly smirked and said: “Thanks Lopez, I’ll take a look at this some time.” Within three hours I was let go.

The next several months were one of the most challenging times of my life. What went wrong at my last job? Will I ever find a position where I can finally experience that feeling of accomplishment? Am I just not cut out to be a businesswoman even though that is what I had been striving for my entire life?

Questions were crowding my mind and fogging up my once clear vision of my future. The only thing I could do was try to focus and stay motivated; to sculpt myself into what I wanted to be. I stopped hiding and exaggerating attributes to fit into a mold of what I thought would lead to success.

Be You No Matter What

When I was a senior in college I interned at an amazing marketing firm in Toledo, Ohio. The CEO of that marketing firm found out I was moving back from California, he dialed my cell phone number and said he had the perfect opportunity for me.

8^th Continent Soymilk was looking for a Social Media Strategist and Brand Ambassador! I am lactose intolerant so I have always been a huge fan of 8^th Continent Soymilk, so I decided to create an audition video and send it in. The video featured me dancing on desks, mentioning all eight of my tattoos, speaking Spanish, all while sporting my bright red faux-hawk haircut. Several other people had sent in videos, but they chose me!

Turning Point

From this point on, everything turned around. The people at 8^th Continent Soymilk listened to my ideas about social media and encouraged contribution. They recognized my accomplishments and praised my creative outside-the-box thinking. 8^th Continent Soymilk agreed with the fact that open communication between customers and a company was not only good for business, but would also help form and shape the future of 8^th Continent. They wanted a person that people could go to and talk to that could be a direct voice from the company. I created a Twitter, Facebook, Brightkite account along with a blog and profiles on several different message boards and forums. From those accounts I would provide people with coupons, recipes, and tips on how to live a happy healthy lifestyle.

After laying the groundwork, I ventured out on my 8^th Continent Soymilk Taste of Life Tour. This was a road trip all throughout the US to the coolest places that you would not typically find in an itinerary. The entire adventure was documented online with blog posts, tweets and Youtube videos. I thrived off of the connections and interactions that occurred online whether I was behind my steering wheel, or at my desk.

Enjoy What You Do

Not only do I enjoy my job immensely but also my self-confidence, self-image and sense of self-worth have grown exponentially. Everyone around me has noticed my change in attitude. My smiles are now wider and more generous than ever. I truly understand the meaning of a successful and happy career. Not only am I in a field that I adore, I also truly believe in the product I am promoting.

If I had to give a tip in these times of economic uncertainty and devastating unemployment I would say this: Concentrate on your skills and develop your passion, stay confident, and eventually an employer will appreciate you for exactly who you are and what you offer.

Sara Lopez is a social media superstar at 8^th Continent Soymilk. You can learn more about her on Twitter and Facebook.  Check out her blog and find out how to get a $2 coupon for 8^th Continent Soymilk.

* Are you on Twitter? Then join over 2,900 people who get my stress relief tips, happiness ideas, and thought provoking quotes. @workhappynow

* The Change Blog has an excellent post called How to Build the Confidence Habit. Confidence at work is very important. Check it out.

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- What Hidden Emotional Anchors are Holding You Back?
- Need an Edge Up on Your Career?

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

There will be days when there seems like nothing is going well. The back pain is flairing, the co-worker next to you finds it funny when he is a little extra annoying, and you can’t seem to get anything done (constantly interrupted).

A few weeks ago I felt like this and I remembered a great technique that always helps.

Remember 3 Good Things

I learned this trick from my friend Alex.

At the end of your day on your commute home (or if you work from home before you leave your home office) – remember 3 good things that happened to you that day.

They can be the tiniest things ever.

They could be:

- The cup of coffee you had this morning.

- The bird chirping outside your window.

- The smile of the new hire, so wet behind the ears that it’s fun to watch.

Whatever you can find, just focus on those three things and watch what happens. You’ll notice your mood change in a positive way.

This is a natural reaction. When you focus on the good stuff in your day, it’s a little reminder that there are good things in your life.

What are 3 good things that have happened in your day so far? Let’s talk in the comments section.

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* Chris Brogan wrote a wonderful piece that made me want to work for him. He wants to help businesses develop their soul. It was beautiful. Go check it out – Soul of a New Business.

If you enjoyed this post then you will probably like this one too:

- Work Happy Tip – Lucky Pen

Image courtesy of wOOkie

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