Editor’s note: this is a guest post from Michael Schnippering of Feng Shui at Work.

Feng Shui helps with a variety of different problems. It can even help with problems in the business. They give many tips on how to make a business successful and stay successful.

For example, Andrew was a small business owner who complained about having lost his level of concentration. “It all started quickly after I moved into his new office,” Andrew said.  His desk was split by two different magnetic chi fields resulting in migraines. His loss of concentration was caused by Andrew not sitting in one of his supporting directions. We moved his desk according to the principles of Feng Shui, and shortly after Andrew felt relief from the negative effects which had impacted his energies before.

1. It is good to have good back support for the back in the desk chair. Lack of support creates unneeded stress on your back. This could make a person fill strained and irritable. This could make business meetings and meeting with clients very unbearable. Good back support in desk chairs prevents these problems from occurring.

2. All clutter should be cleared from office space. Clutter brings bad Feng Shui to the office. Clutter creates confusion and chaos. It also creates unneeded and unwanted stress. Everything should be filed away and organized to help make a business successful. This also helps a person remain stress free in the work environment. Being clutter free also helps a person stay on top of their products and businesses.

3. A person should set up their office the way they feel more comfortable. Each person has their own success set up. Many Feng Shui websites tell a person their ideal set up. Having the proper set up will ensure success because the person feels relaxed in their own setting. They are more confident and ready to face everything that comes their way.

4. Placing a small potted healthy plant on the desk is a very good idea. Many healthy plants have been known to absorb toxins that are in the air. Many toxins make a person sick and unable to work. There are many healthy plans that are known as money plants. These plants are believed to ward off negative situations that may come into the person’s office.

5. A person should never set their desk facing someone another person’s desk. This leads to bad Feng Shui. It could also lead to many arguments and complications. This is especially vital to people who share an office. If they want to get along better, they need to remember not to have their desks face each other.

6. It is not a good idea to use brightly lit lights in an office. The bright lights can make a person become irritable. It can also make them work very impulsive. Lights on flat ceilings are better for lighting than ones that are dimensional.

7. A person should always keep their office space and their bedroom space separated. The bedroom is a place to sleep, and mixing it up with office space can cause insomnia or the person to be increasingly sleepy while working. If a person has to set up their office in their bedroom, they should set up a divider between the desk and the bed. This keeps both separate enough to avoid causing any problems.

8. A person should hang crystals around their office. Crystals absorb negative energies in the work space. This ensures many smooth days at work. Putting crystals on the person’s desk makes this outcome more likely.

9. It is best to only use one door in a person’s office. Even if the person has more than one door, they should keep all doors but they one they want to enter closed. This is the Feng Shui method of keeping money coming in, but not leaving.

10. A person should always carry a Jade Cicada around with them, especially in their office. The Jade Cicada keeps away confrontations in the office. It is also known to be a great source of good luck in the office.

There are many other Feng Shui methods that work well in the office space. They can be found anywhere you look online. These are some of the common ones. They are proven to work very well. Feng Shui is also been proven to help more than just office and work problems as well.

Comments? Doubts? Ask us on Twitter @fengshuiatwork

BIO: Michael Schnippering is the founder of Feng Shui at Work. After more than 12 years of practice he is committed to the true art and science of Feng Shui.

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

Your internal battery needs to be recharged on a regular basis. You can’t continue at break neck speed and expect to stay happy and keep reaching your goals.

The hard part is making your recharge a daily habit. If as many people meditated as much as they drank beer we would not be so stressed out and exhausted.

Drinking alcohol is fun. I enjoy a good dark beer every so often, but I stopped drinking every day because of the drag on my body.

I also stopped relying on vacations to recharge my battery. Needing a vacation is a myth that I want to crush right here. You don’t need a vacation. Yes, it may be nice, but you don’t really need one.

The Reality

In reality a vacation is nice, but I will say that vacations actually make you feel more tired. Think of the last vacation that you went on. How did you feel after you got home?

Tired?

You probably felt tired because taking a vacation takes you out of your element, which is fun but not usually refreshing. Dealing with the packing, double checking reservations, checking in to your flight online, getting to the airport, sleeping in a weird bed, new noises, more drinking than usual, staying up late, and all the other stuff that comes along with traveling it can be exhausting.

The real reason you go on vacation is for some extra excitement not to recharge your battery.

Your Help

I’m putting together an e-course to help you keep your energy at a high level so you can get more done and feel happier doing your work. I need your help. If you could fill out this online survey right here and let me know what you need in an e-course to help you with your energy at work I would be very appreciative. It should take less than a minute to fill out.

The thing is I don’t want to create something that none of you care about, so if this course doesn’t interest you then that’s cool. I’ll move on to a different project.

Your Need for Relaxation

It all comes done to creating habits that will support your energy level. You have to learn how to develop habits that fit into your day. Your body is giving you a lot of cues that you are probably ignoring. The human body isn’t meant to sit for 8 hours at a time.

You have to move around and keep that blood flowing.

Check in and notice how you feel throughout the day. Is your back getting tight or maybe you are feeling anxious. What are you doing to balance out these feelings?

Recharge Tip

You need to make time during the day to recharge your body without having to go for a quick fix like coffee. Drinking coffee at 4 in the afternoon so you can make it til 5 is not the healthiest choice. It’s better to have a routine during the day that helps you sustain your energy without too many spikes.

Every time you are done a project take 60 seconds to check in with yourself. Notice where the energy is trapped. My energy usually gets caught in my neck and lower back. Take 60 seconds to do a back twist, neck stretches or whatever else you need to slow down and release that tension.

By using this transition time to slow down and check in with your body you are more apt to make smarter choices.

Your Turn

What do you do to recharge your battery at work?

How do you check in with your body, so not to let irritability take over?

Side note: Party Time

I’m throwing a Twitter Party with Johnny B. Truant and Pace Smith this Wednesday 2-16 at 8pm ET. We are celebrating the launch of Profitable Idealism. You should join us and hopefully win some free prizes. Over $300 in prizes will be given away. Check out the details and sign up at Party Biz Connect.

* Join the Work Happy Now Facebook Page and interact with other people who are trying to improve their superpowers. It’s very basic right now, but it’s a fun place to visit. We ask good questions, support each other, and laugh. Stop by and hang out.

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

• Holiday Stress Relief Tips that Last All Year Long
• How to Stop Interruptions and Be More Productive

Image courtesy of candrews

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

Editor’s note: This is a guest post by Eileen Habelow, Ph.D. of Randstad

December is one of those contradictory months during which we use the most vacation time but feel the most stressed. Why is this? Add up the limited time in the office, the fact that everyone on vacation isn’t responding to email or voicemail and the personal workload of holiday shopping and cooking, and you have your answer.

But the question isn’t why we’re stressed but what we can do about it. While you’re still at the office this holiday season, here are a few tips to keep the stress level down and the cheer up.

Unitask

Four weeks of work have to be crammed into three. It sounds impossible and perhaps it is, but trying to do everything at once is not the answer. Multitasking is often less efficient due to the time it takes you to switch your focus from one task to another. Make a list of your projects in order of priority. Start with #1 and work your way down, completing each task as thoroughly as possible as you go. At the end of the day you may not have gotten to everything on your list, but a few completed projects is better than a long list of incomplete ones.

Embrace It In Spurts

The next few days or weeks might feel like mayhem, but how was last month? What does January look like? If work just picked up recently and hope is on the horizon, a period of heightened stress and energy at the office can be exciting and rewarding. Just don’t let it get out of hand. If you’ve regularly been working overtime and are constantly under pressure, you should consider hiring on additional help or speaking with upper management.

Take a Mini-break

You don’t need an hour and you don’t need a four course meal. You do need 5 minutes and at least a snack. We’ve all had those days when taking a lunch break is out of the question. But if you plan to eat at your desk, you still need 5 minutes to recharge. Walk across the street to grab take-out. If you bring your lunch, leave it in the car. You’ll come back from the parking deck with a fresh mind to settle back into work.

Keep Work In Perspective

Don’t forget that it’s the holidays. Bosses, clients and coworkers all have friends and family that take priority this time of year, and so do you. Have a holiday party to attend? Want to bake cookies with your kids after work? Don’t miss these memorable times. If need be, come in a few hours earlier in the morning so that you can leave the office in time to share some holiday cheer.

While December is particularly stressful, it’s not the only time we’re faced with a cumbersome workload. When the next wave comes, remember to prioritize the small things without losing track of the bigger picture.

Eileen Habelow, Ph.D., is the senior vice president of Organizational Development with Randstad, a global provider of HR solutions and staffing.

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* Join over 1,200 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)

* A very smart friend of mine created an e-book about measuring people’s performance to optimize productivity on many levels. Too many companies measure how much work is getting done instead of the quality of work. This small mistake costs can cost a small company thousands of dollars. This e-book is a must if you need help measuring people’s performances.

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

> Is Work Stress Hurting Your Family Life?

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Image courtesy of dtweney

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

I’ve had some real “fire cracker explodes in your hand” kind of days. You know those days when you take a chance and it back fires in your face.

The old Karl (before Work Happy Now) usually got all depressed and sulked for days on end when I had a lousy day. I now practice being happy at work. I don’t put up with a lousy day any longer.

I’ve learned how to let the pain go and move on.

Last Week

I was stuck working on some reports. I couldn’t get the data to match up and I was freaking out. My hands were sweating, I was feeling hot flashes from my anger, and I was unable to focus. My day kept getting worse and worse. I got a phone call from a client who was in desperate need of help.

How could I help when I was freaking out myself? I told her that I would call her back in 20 minutes.

I decided to step outside and sprint down the block (well nowadays with my old man legs it’s more like a fast jog) until I ran out of breath. It was a lousy day multiplied by 7. It was some kind of shit storm that came out of nowhere.

When I got back inside I called the client back, gave her two good options and then I felt this calm come over me.

That phone call took the stress off of me and made me focus on someone else.

Keys

It was like God handed me a key to my own brain. I’ve actually known this trick for a long time, but it never fully registered. I have a good feeling that I’ll forget again and I’ll need to go for a sprint again, but that’s just who I am.

By shifting my focus on to helping this client, I got out of my own emotional shit storm. It was beautiful.

I know that I teach about happiness and should have 10 tools at my disposal at any given time, but for some reason I couldn’t let go until I called my client back.

Turn the Focus Outward

Next time you are caught in a shit storm, stop whatever you are doing, sprint 100 yards and then help someone else with their problem.

When you get back to your own problem, you’ll have a clear mind and a relaxed heart.

Your Turn

What do you do when you are having a lousy day?

Do you marinate in it or do you find a way to turn it around?

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

* Been wanting to start a blog, but don’t know where to start? Check out my friend Johnny’s offer of helping you set-up a blog for free. He’s not doing it because he is Mother Teresa, he profits from hooking you up with hosting. You have to pay this anyway so may as well get a free blog set-up out of it. The offer ends today – December 19th.

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

> Are Friendships the Key to Workplace Happiness?

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Image courtesy of Wes & Eli

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

Has your boss ever put an extra task on your plate because they had to disperse the work due to a round of layoffs?

You shake your head because you wonder why (put co-workers name here), who loves his hourly coffee breaks, didn’t get the extra work. You can’t complain now because you don’t want to be a part of the next round of layoffs.

Stress plays a huge role in whether or not you are happy at work. When you are unhappy you often take these feelings home with you.

Tough Times

The more a company cuts back during these tough times, the more pressure employees feel to perform with less. Marketing budgets are slashed and upper management wonders why the sales aren’t coming in. IT budgets are slashed and upper management wonders why the computer systems crash.

Have you noticed what your mood is like with your friends and family after a tough day’s work? You can’t let work dictate how you treat your family.

I like to believe that many companies care about this, but most don’t. They want high productivity on a stretched dollar. I hope to change much of this thinking through this blog. It’s all about taking things one day at a time.

Company Priorities

Companies should care about their employees’ family lives, because employees who treat their families well are more likely to treat their co-workers well. If we help people improve their personal and professional relationships, the company wins too.

I found a great quote in an article from eScience News:

“Choice is turning into expectation at most companies built upon the “team work” model, with pressures coming from project teams, responsibility for meeting profit or production targets, imposed deadlines and employees left to manage their own careers. A separate study at a software engineering firm, for example, determined that interdependent work patterns, ‘a crisis mentality,’ and a reward system based on individual heroics led to ‘inefficient work processes and long working hours.’”

The more pressure we feel, the worse we perform. We are trying to thread a needle going 50 mph. We might hit it 1/1000 times. The other 999 misses make us feel like crap.

Stress and Feelings

That’s why feelings are so important in business. If we try our hardest and all we get are looks of disapproval, we stop trying. We go into work expecting to feel uncomfortable. A lot of people end up taking out this discomfort on their families.

Working long hours isn’t the answer to getting all the work done. This only causes more stress. There needs to be expectations that people can meet, so they feel productive.

“In the future, van Echtelt and her team hope that businesses will value their ‘employees more for their efficiency and relational skills and less for their crisis mentality and working long hours.’”
- escience news

My wife is a counselor at a middle school, she deals with a lot of stressed out students and teachers. Many teachers come to her to vent. One teacher was feeling so overwhelmed that she broke out in a rash. She told me that from reading my articles my wife gave the teacher the advice that I often give here.

Stop trying to do too much and focus on the important stuff.

The teacher stopped taking her work home and actually found that she still got everything done. She became more efficient with her time and was a lot less stressed. She was still able to get all the grading done, organize her room, and plan for the next day. She stayed focused (focus is a huge part in developing your superpowers) on her work at work instead of being able to fall back on taking the work home if she had any left over.

If your company reset their expectations, allowing you to focus on only the most important projects would you go home happier?

What do you think your company could do to lower your stress levels?

* Follow Work Happy Now on Twitter. Join over 3,600 people who get happiness tips, productivity tips, and thought provoking quotes each day.

* Steven wrote an awesome post called, 56 Things I Wished I’d Known When I was Younger.  We all wish we could turn back time, but it’s even better to learn from our past experiences and make smarter decisions moving forward.

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

> How to Discover Your Superpowers

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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 Chrissy Scivicque of Eat Your Career.

About a month ago, I was out walking my dog (a 15-pound golden yorkie-poodle mix named Mollie) and, from a neighbor’s house a large, black pit bull came bounding out at us. Without any hesitation, the dog attacked. All I could hear were the cries coming from Mollie as she tried frantically to get away. Thankfully, her collar was just loose enough that, in that moment of pure terror, she was able to squeeze her head out and run. That beast of a dog chased her a few streets and then gave up. After running back home, I found Mollie, God love her, waiting for me on our front porch—a little torn up, a lot scared, but 100% alive.

I’m very fortunate; I haven’t experienced much in the way of trauma. This was, by far, the most terrifying event of my life.  At some point during all the commotion, I became convinced that I she was going to die and for a split second, I imagined my life without Mollie. That, my friends, was the scariest part.

Life without pets? No thank you. I’m a huge animal lover (I also have two cats) and Mollie is my best friend. I’m not ashamed to admit it. As someone who has experienced sporadic periods of mild depression throughout life, I adopted Mollie after a friend convinced me that a dog was the perfect remedy for a blue mood. After two years as a dog owner, I can safely report: It’s absolutely true.

The reason I’m sharing this here with you fine readers of Work Happy Now is because Mollie has gotten me through some extremely rough times at work. It might sound odd, but her presence in my home life helped improve my work life. Here’s how:

The Welcome Wagon

It’s true what they say about dogs—they are truly the most loyal creatures in the world. It used to be hard to come home after a stressful day at work to a quiet house. I would sit around and stew about all the things that made me upset, all the work I didn’t accomplish, the things I’d like to say to my boss. It was very negative and non-productive.

Now, I’m greeted by pure, unadulterated joy. Mollie jumps up on her hind legs and does a little dance every time I walk in the door. In that instant, the worries of my day at work fade away. No one could watch her bounce around like that and hold on to a bad mood.

Instant Social Bond

I don’t have kids so, at times, I felt a little left out of conversations with my co-workers. Now, everyone wants to hear stories about Mollie. I found that an instant bond happened with those who also have dogs. My social life at work has dramatically improved—an unexpected benefit of dog-ownership.

Walking, the Outdoors, and Thinking

Owning a dog requires a pretty serious commitment to exercise. I didn’t realize at first how much time I would spend outside with Mollie, walking and playing. And I didn’t realize how great that would be for my mental attitude. Like most dog owners, I make sure Mollie gets a minimum of two walks a day—one in the morning and one at night. During the morning walk, I’m able to mentally prepare for my workday. I think about all of the positive things I will accomplish. During the evening walk, I’m able to decompress, think about my victories and clear away any residual negativity.

Fresh air and exercise are two of the most powerful things for creating a positive mental attitude. Owning a dog ensures you get plenty of both.

Ultimately, the pit bull attack was awful, but we all survived. Mollie’s wounds are healing and she’s back to her old chipper self. For those of you animal lovers, you can see a few pictures of her on my blog’s “about me” page (just scroll down the page a bit). And, if you’re the kind of person who experiences intermittent blue patches or needs some help leaving the stress of work at the office, consider adopting a pet from your local shelter.

Bio: Chrissy Scivicque is a writer, nutritionist and career coach. She trains others to manage their career path with a holistic point-of-view. You can find her at EatYourCareer.com, a blog dedicated to helping you create a nourishing professional life.

* 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.

* Alexandra of Water Cooler Wisdom wrote a well thought out piece about selling excellence. So many of us are scared to do it right.

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

When you work with someone who annoys you, they can seem devastatingly awful. So awful that it can send you into a depression. Trust me – - it has happened to me.

Maybe it’s an annoying client who won’t stop emailing you, a co-worker who loves to click his pen all day long, or a boss who puts way too much work on your desk.

But as soon as you take away the annoyance, you miss parts of the experience. You miss the challenge that this annoying person created. It’s very much like a horror movie. You watch it to scare the living heck out of yourself because once it’s over, life seems so much better. This relief can be addicting.

My new friend Tammy left a great comment about this concept:

Running my own business means I don’t have the day-to-day contact with an office full of work colleagues, so my friends do get all the work chatter too! I think being an entrepreneur, your life gets a lot less compartmentalized anyway.

I know there’s a lot of problems with office politics and the like within office environments, but honestly, now and then I do think I’m missing out on a chunk of popular culture by not having an over-enthusiastic stationery cupboard manager in my life; or a particularly zealous health and safety warden confiscating my scissors!

She misses the crazy people because they add spice to the workday. After reading her blog I would say she is happier not having to deal with the “over-enthusiastic stationery cupboard manager,” but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t miss him.

When you notice something annoying you today, try to step back and feel the uniqueness of the situation. What type of sensations are happening? Are you letting your anger get the best of you? These overwhelming emotions can teach you so much about yourself.

So remember to watch, listen, and learn from what irks you because when it’s all gone you’ll want to bring back the pain. Because at least they challenged you to work on your emotional development.

* 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)

* Social media can be a tricky beast that’s why I read Christine’s blog. One of her latest articles was how to make friend request. It’s a must read for Facebook and LinkedIn users.

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

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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.

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

> Ways to Conquer Your Fears

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Image courtesy of Shawn Econo

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!

Editor’s note: This is a guest post from Susan C.

I’m a big believer in relaxing with our work. I’m not talking about laziness. I’m talking about finding your rhythm that allows for optimum levels of performance. Knowing when you need a break and knowing when to keep working because you are in the zone. Today we talk about: Using meditation to expand mindfulness.

This mindfulness meditation has its roots in an earth-based (pagan) spiritual path and was inspired by a short morning ritual in Yasmine Galenorn’s book Embracing the Moon.  Ideally, it’s great to be able to do this outside, but it works just as well indoors, in which case, looking out a window can help to initially bring our focus to the natural world.  One could do this mindfulness meditation at any point in the day, but it’s a nice way to start the day.

Let’s get started

Stand with feet slightly apart and knees gently bent, shoulders back and relaxed, take a few deep breaths and feel the floor or earth under your feet, supporting you, and notice your surroundings (preferably those outside the window).

East

If you are not already facing the direction of east, turn in that direction and greet both the direction and the element of air.  The east is associated with the element of air, the season of spring, the morning, beginnings, and thinking.  I usually ask that the cool, gentle breezes of the air to sweep away any cloudy or gloomy thinking, leaving my mind clear and fair.  Visualize a gentle wind (or a stronger breeze if that’s more your style) sweeping away dark clouds or any kind of mental fog.  The more you can visualize or feel this process, the more powerful it is.  Thank the east and the air, and then face south.

South

The south is associated with fire, transformation, summer, midday, culminations, passion and creative energy.  Welcome or greet the direction and the element of fire.  Imagine the process of turning your heartfelt desires and thoughts into the energy or fuel that transforms the ideal into the real.  Visualize the warmth of the sun and/or a nice, well tended fire that provides you with a steady source of energy to accomplish your actions, tasks and goals throughout the day.  If you are feeling stuck or that there are barriers to moving forward in some way, see those barriers being reduced to ash (in a controlled and productive way).  Thank the south and the element of fire, and then face west.

West

The west is associated with water, autumn, evening (twilight), water, harvesting/withering away, and emotions.  Welcome the direction of the west and the element of water into your day.  Visualize being near a body of water (it could be a lake, the ocean, a river, even a fountain), hear the water moving and feel it moving over and around you, cleansing and renewing you.  I like to imagine a wellspring filled with joy, love, hope and laughter bubbling up in my heart and circulating through me.  Thank the west and the element of water, then face north.

North

North is associated with earth, winter, midnight, the fallow season, and the physical body. Welcome the north and the element of earth into your day.  Feel your connection to the earth, and visualize your interconnection with other beings and life forms as a network of deep, strong, intertwined roots that support and nourish each other and help us to bring forth the lives that are best for each of us.  When I’m feeling particularly ungrounded or buffeted about by a lot of change, I visualize myself as a tall tree that playfully engages the crazy winds of change because it has sturdy roots that will support it.  Connect with whatever earthy symbol or structure helps you to feel grounded and secure.  At this point you can turn and face east again and see yourself as being in the centre of a circle.

Center

The center is associated with the element of space/aether, the spirit, and either silence or the primordial sound “om”. Visualize being in a quiet, calm sanctuary or place that fills you with a sense of equanimity, acceptance of what is, detachment from outcomes (Yes, I know: easier said than done!), and an attentiveness—or mindfulness—to the present moment. When you feel that you have a sense of this, thank the center and aether, and remember to take these connections and gifts with you throughout the day.

What do you do to energize your workday? Besides coffee.

* 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 450 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.

*  Evita over at EvolvingWellness has a brilliant interview about exercise. It’s so very important to exercise if you have an office job. The article is called Common Fitness Questions Answered by Fitness Expert Marta Montenegro.

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Image courtesy of gwgs

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