Remember when you first landed your job? You were excited and enthusiastic about your new position. But over months or years, maybe your work started to bore you. Do you feel unappreciated? Stifled? Stressed to the max? Are you starting to dread going into the office on Mondays?
Almost everyone’s felt stuck in a job they are no longer crazy about – and the easiest person to blame is always someone else. While testy co-workers or a manager you don’t see eye-to-eye with can be annoying, maybe it’s time to evaluate how you could be contributing to your own job angst.
A recent survey from VitalSmarts found that 97 percent of employees described themselves as having one of these five traits: lacking reliability, making “that’s not-my-job!” comments, procrastinating, resisting change or projecting a negative attitude. That means a whole lot of us could be sabotaging our careers. So, according to behavior expert and business adviser Beverly D. Flaxington, there’s a good chance an attitude adjustment could help conquer many work woes.
This isn’t just about so-called positive thinking – although that can help. Instead, it’s finding out what you can change and what you can’t.
Here are five tips to help you like, and maybe even love, your job again.
1. Shift out of “I can’t stand this job!” mode
In in her new book Make Your Shift: The Five Most Powerful Moves You Can Make to Get Where YOU Want to Go (ATA Press), Beverly Flaxington describes how her S.H.I.F.T. model works on most work-related problems. It involves these steps: Specify the desired outcome, Highlight obstacles and categories, Identify the human factor, Find alternatives and Take disciplined action. She writes that pretending obstacles don’t exist won’t make them go away but identifying them gives you the opportunity to create a plan that manages or eliminates many of those problems.
Flaxington advises making a list of things within your control, things you can’t control but can influence, and those you can’t control at all. So what do you do when you can’t “fix” a work problem – for example, if you really don’t like the management style of your new boss? Recognize you can’t change it and stop wasting time and effort by going through your workday full of resentment. Instead, Flaxington says, use your energy for obstacles you can change or control.
2. Always being right doesn’t mean you are effective and happy.
In her book 101 Ways to Love Your Job (Sourcebooks, Inc.), workplace communications expert Stephanie Goddard Davidson points out that too many people stick to their opinions as the “right” ones and continually remind other people, including colleagues, their opinions are wrong. However, being defensive and negative is never going to make your job more pleasant. “In any situation that involves conflict… you would be better off in the long run to give up your irresistible need to be right every time,” Davidson writes. “Being right is not standing stubbornly in defense of your position. Instead, it is about getting what you want or need from a situation to continue interacting effectively.”
3. Manage stress to improve your job outlook
You’ve heard it before – stress is bad for your health. It’s also bad for your mental outlook. Flaxington (who heads The Consultancy, a sales and marketing firm) points out in her book that excess stress and worry can zap your energy and negatively color how you see your job and workplace. She notes that when an organization is going through changes, sometimes people who were previously competent and confident become so worried they fixate on the worst possible scenario – such as losing their job. Their work suffers and they can create a self-fulfilling prophecy.
“I’ve come to understand that there aren’t a lot of good reasons to worry, and that it take a toll on our emotional and physical strength when we let it consume us,” she writes. “Finding ways to focus your attention on more positive steps to take will ultimate benefit you much more… no matter what you are facing.” She advises giving your body and mind regular stress-soothing activities each workday. Go for walks when you take a break, sit quietly and do deep breathing exercises, and stand and stretch once an hour at least. You’ll return to your work with a new focus and, quite likely, a better attitude.
4. Stop being a compulsive (and unhappy) “busy bee”
Communications consultant Davidson, whose client list includes MCI/Verizon, BellSouth and Nextel, explains in her book that a fast-paced day full of faxes, emails, and phone calls can keep you constantly busy, but not necessarily feeling you are accomplishing worthwhile goals at work. The solution? She suggests slowing down to be more productive by implementing a to-do list each workday based on these four important areas of your life:
- Mental/Intellectual (which includes your job duties)
- Social/Emotional (your relationships with friends and family)
- Physical (healthy eating, exercise and doctor appointments)
- Spiritual (this doesn’t have to be a religious practice but something such as meditation or relaxation techniques which get you in touch with your retrospective side)
5. Respect, and befriend, your coworkers
According to a recent Gallup poll, employees who have a good friend at work are seven times more likely to be engaged, happy and productive at their jobs. Davidson explains that some people think professionalism means you shouldn’t be open to building friendships at work. “Keeping a professional distance may make sense in some situations, but in general, I would encourage you to relax and enjoy the people you work with,” Davidson writes. “Getting a reality check from someone you work with who can see things more clearly than you at the moment, or offer advice on what to do next, is key to career success and satisfaction.”
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Sherry Baker is a writer from Atlanta, Georgia. She last wrote the article Should You Go Gluten Free? for Synergy.
