How to work for “The Man” While Working on Your Dreams!
Let’s face it; we work because we have to.
Because it’s the “grown-up” thing to do.
Because like many things in the grown up world, it’s a trade-off.
We sell our “dreams” for the “reality” of monthly mortgage payments, insurance premiums, car notes and the privilege of keeping up with the Joneses.
Given our druthers, most of us would much rather spend our days chilling out in our undies with a big bowl of cereal while surfing the Net, or reaching new tiers on our favorite video games, or vegging out in front of the boob tube, or “doing damage” at the local mall, or becoming beach bums, or building our own business, or almost anything else.
Almost anything else other than the slow death that is corporate America and working for the man!
But all is not lost. Just because your career path has led you on the road to perdition, doesn’t mean you have to continue on a path filled with bumps, roadblocks, potholes, and dark passages.
In fact, in order to forge forward and go the distance, you’ll need to make an important detour—a mental one that is.
Here’s why.
Many moons ago, worker bees were encouraged to give their best through employee incentive programs, bonuses and other perks.
Good bosses served like cheerleaders, and some were even role models.
Not so much anymore.
The current thinking of “the powers that be” is that your paycheck (and the thought of poverty) should be motivation enough to perform.
So workplace motivation has become a do-it-yourself project.
With this in mind, you need to learn how to get “fired up” before you get fired!
If you want to survive the workplace, keep your sanity in tact, and make your days a bit more bearable, here are some pointers to pull it off.
1. Always give your best, but never give your all. When you’re sick, take off and take care of yourself. When you’re drained, seek balance and rest.
2. Keep a positive mental attitude. Remind yourself of all the blessings that are brought into your life as a result of your job. It could be that it allows you to send your kids to summer camp, or that you’ve formed important friendships with co-workers that will last a life-time, or that you’re honing your computer skills and cultivating more marketable skills. Or that the cute guy in the corner office could be your potential “baby daddy.”
3. Don’t be bitter, be better. Take criticisms and negative performance reviews and use them to your advantage. Work on your developmental areas and let your next boss benefit from a better you.
4. Take mini “mental vacations.” Escape the madness. Take your lunch break away from your desk. Stroll through a nearby park. Get lost between the pages of a good book. It’ll rejuvenate your spirits daily.
5. Seek work that you enjoy. If you’ve gotta work, why not apply your time and talents to your passion? Having meaningful work that speaks to your strengths and interests is the best way to reduce stress and enhance your productivity.
6. Prepare for your “release date.” Update that resume. Polish your interviewing skills. Learn all you can. Set goals and a timeline to make a move. New horizons await you!
By following these six savvy tips, you’ll be able to bide your time with a sense of peace and a sense of purpose. Don’t let working for the man work on you! Any self-help job motivation tips you’d care to share?
This is a guest post by Jennifer Brown Banks, a veteran freelance writer and pro blogger. She holds a B.A. in Business Management. Visit her site @ http://penandprosper.blogspot.com/
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