How to enjoy your job

I couldn’t resist copying this - the site invites you to! It sounds like punk psychology, but it probably works if you are the right person. Hell - what am I saying - you WILL become the right person if you do this stuff. Enjoy!

And if you do know how to do something similar, share it with others. It’s the magic of the web.

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

“Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.”
Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)
Option 1: Alarm rings – hit snooze. Alarm rings – groan. Get up, throw on some clothes. Fight traffic, complain, get to work, hate the day – watch the clock and count the minutes. Go home, eat, watch TV, go to bed. Alarm rings – hit snooze. It’s only Wednesday - two more days to go. Oh will this week ever end? I just want to sleep until Saturday. Please let me win the lottery. I hate this job. Did I do something bad? Every day feels like I’m in prison.

Option 2: Alarm rings but the shower drowns out the noise. Pick out sharp clothes for the day. Music on the way to work – smiling while stuck in traffic; planning the day. Say “good morning” to everybody… smile some more. Go through list of things to do, add new things that come to mind. Become excited when the output looks great – oh my, time to go already… Where did the day go? Have a great dinner, talk about the day, asleep almost instantly. Alarm rings but the shower drowns out the noise. I love what I do!
Which would you rather feel? The question isn’t what do you feel, but what do you want? Honestly, don’t you envy, just a little, the people that actually love what they do and look forward to each day? For them, work isn’t drudgery – it’s fun! Why? Because they decide it’s going to be that way. Before you can enjoy your job, you have to figure out what “enjoyment” means to you. Doing that will not only help you enjoy your job, but it will help you more fully enjoy life in general. Here are some ways you can improve your satisfaction – job related and otherwise. This is not a quick fix; it will take some time, but the effort will be incredibly rewarding.

Steps

Phase 1: Examining Yourself

1. Understand what makes you happy: Think about it – write it down. Take some time to make a list of the things that bring a smile to your face. When you make this list, write down everything, no matter how trivial or how irrelevant it may appear to your job. The purpose isn’t to relate this to your job, the purpose is to make a list that’s all about you.
2. Ask “Why?” for each item: OK, you’ve got your list – now you need to figure out why those things make you happy… what is it about “fishing” that makes you happy? Is it actually doing it; or is it the surroundings? Is it really fishing or is it being out with friends? Do this for each item – dig deep. Keep asking “why” until you come up with the root of why this makes you happy. That’s the list you’re really looking for.
3. Understand what makes you unhappy: Just like in the previous two steps, you’re going to do this with the bad side of things. Does your morning commute make you unhappy? Why? Is it really the time you spend in the car… (if you ever just go for pleasure drives then it’s not being in the car)? Is it other drivers?
4. Ask “Why?” for each item: Just like you did for the positive aspects, you need to determine why those things make you unhappy. Why does sitting in the car really bother you? Since you enjoy taking drives listening to music, why is this different? Think. This will be used later and it has to be very, very specific. Why does that bother you? Make the list and do the “why, why, why” and find out what really, deep down, are the things that make you unhappy.
5. Understand what motivates you: People like doing the things that motivate them (that’s an obvious definition). So you need to make a list of the things that make you feel motivated. Some people are motivated by helping others, some are motivated by accomplishment, some by intellectual stimulation. This is not a particularly easy task but it’s something you need to know about yourself. It’s one of those “meaning of life” activities that will vary from person to person. What is it for you?

Phase 2: Examining Your Job

1. Identify Positive Aspects: OK, maybe you don’t love your job, but there are things about it that you don’t completely hate. There are things you actually like. List these first. Put yourself in a relaxed state of mind and consider everything about, and related to, your job that are not negative. Maybe you have a very short commute to work – that’s a good thing. What about the lighting and overall facility conditions? Is there a break room? If you get breaks during the day; even if they’re short, that’s a plus. What about at least some of the people there? List all of it.
2. Ask Why: Just like in Phase 1, you need to identify why you like these things. What is it about each item in your list of positives that attracts you? This is important because you’re going to correlate this with the same list you made earlier.
3. Identify Negative Aspects: This should be easy enough – what about your job do you not like? List all of them, but be specific. “I hate what I do” just isn’t good enough. What, specifically, do you not like about the work, the environment, the people, the company… everything.
4. Ask Why: You did this for the positives, and you have to do this for the negatives. Just like Phase 1, dig a little deeper. You may have listed that you don’t like your boss. Why? “He’s a ” is not productive; what, specifically, about his behavior do you not like and, more importantly, why does it affect you in a negative way?

Phase 3: Putting It Together

1. Match Your Positive Influences: Look closely at the list of things that make you happy and the list of things you like–and dislike–about your job. Interestingly there may be things about your job that you dislike that actually match up with some of the things you listed that make you happy. An example might be “My boss is always hovering around” but under the happy thoughts list you have “being around people.” Take everything you listed about your job from both lists (like and dislike) and write those things (the ones that apply) next to items on the list of what makes you happy outside of work.
2. Match Your Negative Influences: In similar fashion to the previous step, you’re going to match your job-related items (likes and dislikes) to the things that make you unhappy. Again, you might find that some things you listed in the plus side for your job actually match your unhappy list. For example, if you listed “my boss leaves me alone” as a positive but “being alone” makes you unhappy, there is a contradiction which leads you to…
3. Look for Contradictions: On your match lists, you are very likely to have things about your job you like that match things that make you unhappy, and conversely, things about your job you dislike that match things that make you happy. Make a Contradiction List that contains all those. You will concentrate heavily on those in just a bit.
4. Look for Confirmations: Just like the previous step, you will have things that match the way you thought they would. Some of the “bad” things about your job are in your unhappy list and vice versa. Make a Confirmation List that contains all those.
5. Check Your Work: To be on the safe side, do these exercises a couple of times. Don’t just hammer through it once and be done with it. This is a very, very important tool and you will use this later – if you really want to be proactive with your life, you’ll use this many times in the future. Once you are completely satisfied that all your lists are accurate and complete…
6. Take a Pause: Give yourself some time to let these things sink in. You’ll know when you’re ready for the next phase, but don’t rush into it. Your brain needs a bit of time to process the information you’ve just developed. If you’ve done the steps properly, you will have some new and potentially surprising information. After a couple of days, you’ll be ready.

Phase 4: Taking Action

1. Make the Commitment: The goal you’ve set is to enjoy your job. To do that, you have to be determined that you’re going to make a positive psychological change. Do not believe that just because you’ve done the prework things will magically change for you. This will require a constant examination on your part of your attitudes and behaviors.
2. Focus on the Positive Matches: For example, if your boss is “hovering” remember that you enjoy being around people. When your phone is constantly ringing, remember that you love talking to people. When you’re constantly being asked to do extra things, remember that helping people makes you happy. The objective here is to look for the things about your job that match the things you listed as making you happy and focus on those. Each time a job-related event occurs that is on your “happy” list, make a mental note this was good because….
3. Look for Job-Related Motivation: There must be something about your job that matches your motivation list. Find those things. This is one of the things your supervisor should also know. Try to have a conversation with your boss about the things that stimulate you and see how you can get more of those assignments. Don’t assume it will happen all at once; your current assignments are there for a reason and it will take time to adjust the workload, but most managers want their people to be productive and happy - that reduces turnover and makes them look better because the team performs better. When you do this, focus the conversation on the positive areas rather than the negative areas: “I hate my job because it’s boring.” has no place in the dialog - you might get “Fine. Good luck in your job search. See HR on your way out.” On the other hand, “I would really like to have some additional duties that let me interact more with people.” will provoke a thoughtful response and it shows a mature work ethic.
4. Eliminate “Bad Rap” Thoughts: You sometimes find yourself thinking how you don’t like your job - or you don’t like parts of it. Your mind will feed on that and it grows until it engulfs you. That’s what’s referred to as “bad rap” and nothing good will come of it. When you find yourself doing that, yank yourself back to the positive. Think about some job-related activity that matches your happy list instead. This is not easy. Bad rap is a habit and it’s hard to break, but it’s oh so critical that you stop that in its tracks. Bad rap increases stress, can lead to depression and definitely reduces performance which will lead to poor performance reviews which will increase the bad rap… well, you see the vicious cycle.
5. Use Your Breaks Wisely: When you have a 15-minute break or a 30-minute lunch, use that time to do the things that you enjoy doing. This is not the time to gather around with co-workers and gripe. If that’s part of the culture, you need to distance yourself from it - it’s hurting you. Maybe find someone that likes to walk and walk with them; talk about pleasant things. During lunch, associate with positive people instead of negative people. People fuel each other with their attitudes. Your objective is to increase the positive and decrease the negative. When you constantly hear people expressing negative views, your negative views will increase. Likewise, when you’re with positive people, your positive views will increase.
6. Use Affirmation: You’ve probably heard or seen this a thousand times. Maybe you’ve dismissed it - but truly it works. It might seem a bit silly to look in the mirror in the morning and tell yourself you are going to enjoy the day - but… and let this sink in… it will help. Positive thoughts are habit forming just like negative thoughts are. It works because of the way our brains are wired. It may seem useless at first and you will not see instant results - this is not a magic wand kind of thing - but keep at it. Do it every day. Post your happy list job matches on the mirror and read them every morning.
7. Look for Results: If you’ve done the steps and you’re taking the actions, you will see results. They will be baby steps at first so you’ll have to look for them. They will be there and it’s up to you to find them. When you see a result… rejoice! You’re succeeding! Every success is a positive feedback to your brain. They will start coming faster and faster. One thing though, there will always be events you don’t like. Nobody loves every second of every day of their life. That’s just not normal. When those happen, deal with them decisively and quickly, then move on. Do not dwell on the negatives. Focus on the positives to come.

Tips

• If these don’t work; if you are 100% sure beyond the shadow of a doubt that you will never, ever like the job you’re in, and you’re going to find a new one, use what you learned doing these steps to evaluate the potential new jobs. Make sure your next job fits what you like.

• If all else fails: Think of a time when you had a lower paying job or no job and were struggling to pay bills and buy food. Imagine how your life would be if you suddenly lost your job. Even if you’re not in love with what you do, at least, feel some appreciation for what you have.

Warnings

• Never quit a job on the spur of the moment without a good backup. Especially in a downward economic spiral, it could take a very long time to find a fit. You could easily end up in a worse position. If you’re going to quit, find the new job first.

Related wikiHows

• How to Be Optimistic
• How to Be Thankful
• How to Accept Criticism While at Work
• How to Adjust to a New Job
• How to Deal With a Bad Boss
• How to Survive at Your Dream Job Without Starving

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Mad March Days: Decode

 

How much mystery can you get into one line of poetry?

 

Here’s a go a the first line of the poem in my previous post. Incidentally, it’s called ‘Cargoes’, is about progress and was written by John Masefield, who was poet laureate in the UK from 1930 until his death in 1967. By all accounts, a very interesting and pleasant man. He went to war (WW1) as a medic, wrote ‘Galllipoli’ (as well as a few fine poems), received honourary doctorates from Yale and Harvard, and kept goats and bees. 

 

Quinquereme - a boat powered by lots of oars - the rhythm of oars is the  rhythm of the first verse. The rhythm of a diesel engine chugging is the rhythm of the last verse. Try it.

Nineveh (also Ninua) -  an “exceeding great city”, as it is called in the Book of Jonah, lay on the eastern bank of the Tigris in ancient Assyria, near the modern-day major city of Mosul, Iraq which lies across the river.  Ophir - a generic name for a place of fantastic wealth, mentioned in the Christian Bible. Fans of H. Rider Haggard may remember it as the location of King Soloman’s mines. 

Mad March days…

My Mother who, thanks to dementia, can’t remember more than one minute of the immediate past, one day recounted this poem in its entirety for our pleasure. It is the product of a great mind, recalled by another now sadly broken one. Just those two things together would do the trick, but the poem is a cracker all by itself…

Quinqueremes of Niniveh, from distant Ophir,
Rowing home to haven in sunny Palestine
with a cargo of ivory, and apes, and peacocks
sandalwood and cedarwood and sweet white wine

Stately Spanish galleon, coming from the Isthmus
dipping through the tropics by the palm green shores
with a cargo of diamonds, emeralds and amethyst,
topazes and cinnamon and gold moiodores.

Dirty British coaster, with silt-caked smoke stack
Batting through the channel in the mad march  days
With a cargo of Tyne coal, road rails, pig lead,
firewood, ironware and cheap tin trays.

We salute you Mr Masefield, Mum…

Bye bye Vista™

 After four months of frustration with Microsoft’s new operating system Vista, on a new and well specified computer, I have given up and bought a Mac. I’m loving it and I challenge Microsoft to win me back.

It became clear from various help forums that there is plenty to go wrong with Vista and that confusion exists in the fixes. On top of this, Vista veils its flaws with a nanny mentality that constantly cautions you about touching anything you may be too stupid to fix. ‘Are you sure you want to continue?’

Well I was, but I’m not now.  Crucially, the confidence I had that I could fix most PC (XP) problems was eroded to a point where I felt a failure every time I tried to do something on the machine. Thanks, but that’s not why I use computers.

I list the problems for cathartic reasons: installed drivers vanishing, and the fact that the sound system clicks which MS knows about, knows why, and for which they don’t have a timetable to fix. Oh, and the fact that it wouldn’t connect to the intranet - the one thing you really need a computer to do for you easily.

So sayonara Vista. I’m not stupid - you really are fundamentally flawed, and your own worst PR. Pity I had to pay for the experience. Hello Mac.

patrick v

Mind games and mental illness

 My previous post on mind games - computer games designed to improve brain functions such as memory - was a bit light on serious applications. Here is the antidote.

An article in (the excellent) New Scientist magazine (12 January 200 has information about the use of mind games in the treatment of mental illness, especially schizophrenia. Research showing that mind exercise techniques can help the mind to cure itself, without drugs, is promising. 

Commercial companies Cogmed (www.cogmed.com) and Posit Science (www.positscience.com) both contributed to the article.  I am sure there are others, but these would be a good starting point to explore. ‘Caveat emptor’ as the Romans said (Buyer beware) - these are commercial sites. You can read the article on the New Scientist website (www.newscientist.com) but you pay for full online access.

patrick v

Work/life balance: stress at home

 I organise the annual staff survey where I work, and this year we are particularly interested in capturing data around stress in the workplace. One of the questions for consideration was ‘Do your home circumstances contribute to stress at work?’.

Whereas most of the questions are about causes of stress ‘at’ work, this one stood out as different because of the idea that stressful home situations should be taken into account when considering staff members’ work performance. The further idea is that an employer then has an obligation to take this into account when dealing with an individual. This strikes me as a slippery slope for the employer. Heartless or practical?

What do you think?

patrick v

Mind games - the jury is mainly in…

  Can a cheerful digitised Japanese professor help you maintain and even improve your memory?

I’d like to think so of course, and I have my shiny little DS lite to show where my money is. Motivation came in the form of Prof K helping to lower my ‘brain age’ by about 14 years over the course of a few weeks with his gentle chiding and hot tips. 

Can Nintendo’s electronic games - and others, in what must be a rapidly growing and competitive market given the active aging population worldwide - do more profound things for your mind?

There is a fair amount of mainstream research in the area of exercise for the brain, primarily to discover what factors throughout your life put you at greater or lower risk of developing the dreaded Alzheimer’s or dementia. Briefly, research suggests that while people from richer families, with good education, active mid- and later lifes seem to be less likely to develop Alzheimer’s, it is never too late to do something to improve your odds. Mental stimulation in later life can be just as effective in lowering your risk of developing these afflictions as these other life factors.

Research summary (mostly from British Medical Journal article, vol. 336): whatever your age and background, exercises to improve, say, your memory can be effective, but don’t count on a memory exercise to improve another brain function such as reasoning, for example. You would need to exercise reasoning separately. Research scientists, who are professionally cautious, say that in those (typically elderly people) whose brain is only just coping, that developing one brain function may be at the expense of other perhaps more critical functions. 

It seems, however, that most physicians and scientists alike support a ‘use it or lose it’ approach.  

I draw two layman’s conclusions from this:

1) it’s never too late to start exercising your brain functions, and such exercises could help to reduce your risk of developing brain problems as you get older; and

2) take a holistic approach - exercise as many different facets of your mind (and body) as you can for good measure.

Me, I’m going to stick with Prof K. I’m also going to record an album, learn to speak Spanish, perfect my paragliding, try to have one lunch date in my diary every week and do a sudoku every day.

And write a blog.

patrick v

BrainBlab - quick intro

  When I was 12, I forgot something.

I forgot it completely, then I remembered that I’d forgotten it.  Since then I’ve forgotten things on a daily basis. Basically I have a very poor memory, but it has affected my career much less than I expected. There are workarounds. I did well at school and have two good degrees, a career and I’ve made decent progress up a few other learning ladders like languages, flying and music (still not great with lyrics though!).

 So I thought I’d share. This blog is about getting over the dread of saying, ‘you know, I completely forgot’,  and the fear of forgetting something you have to do -  my constant  demons.

I believe in practical magic, so if you’re interested in the memory thing, bookmark this link now <<NOW!>>, then email the link to yourself so you have a reference. Even better - get involved. You’ll see where this is going from the next few posts. Let me know your tips and thoughts about memory, and please comment on the posts.

patrick v