- Savor Everyday Moments (previous post)
- Avoid Comparisons “Run your own Race” (previous post)
- Put Money Low on the List (previous post)
- Have Meaningful Goals (previous post)
- Take Initiative at Work
Researcher Amy Wrzesniewski says that when we express creativity, help others, suggest improvements, or do additional tasks on the job, we make our work more rewarding and feel more in control.
Even if you are in a job that you don’t really like, there are ways to make it more meaningful and enjoyable. Introduce activities or programs that make your work day more interesting. Anytime you can add your own taste, preferences and ideas to a setting, it can feel better and more like your own.
If you have been in a position for a long period of time and might be feeling a little burned out or bored, sometimes it’s a matter of looking at the job from a new perspective and see if you can shift some things to make it more interesting or fun.
Early in my career I had very demanding job as a counselor for at risk youth. It was often a challenge to find ways to approach these kids in a way that made a difference for them and often it was difficult to see if we made a difference at all. It would have been easy to get burned out, but one thing that really helped is that we made a point to have a playful atmosphere in the office. We used to create contests during the week to have some fun and lighten things up a bit. Initiating fun activities balanced out the difficult parts of the job and made the work more manageable.
Taking the lead on a project, suggesting new ideas or helping out the new person can make the workplace a much happier place to be. And now, even science says so! Give it a try.
Next: 6. Make Friends, Treasure Family
*10 Things Science Says Will Make You Happy by Jen Angel, YES! Magazine Winter 2009
