Learn to like & enjoy your job

There are many people who like their job. They feel that their colleagues are understandable enough and serve to inspire them. Yet, they find their work a tiresome and monotonous toil. Every morning they suffer from Monday morning blues. How can they overcome such woes?

The fact is that there is nothing unusual about such feelings. This does not imply that you have to put up with them. You can always refuel and rejuvenate yourself so that every minute of your work is sixty seconds worth. In any case, if you love your job, rekindling the dwindled passion will not be difficult. Here is how you can do so:

· Evaluate & involve yourself:  Surely things are smooth sailing for you and the fact that it is so should be encouraging. However, you need to catalogue aspects of your job that you love and the list could well include your colleagues and seniors as also the very nature of your job. Issues related to the workplace environment and the facilities extended to you should also be reduced to writing. Likewise, aspects that you abhor to include commuting timings or absence of work facilitators should also be noted. Making a like and dislike list will help you identify the upbeat aspects and serve to motivate you day in and day out as also issues that have put you off; you can definitely get over disconcerting features of your routine. A comparison of the two lists will throw light on what is pre-eminent and help you discern if the overall situation is fine or bad. Your perspective will be clear and can always change for the better.

· Keep reminding yourself:  The list of upbeat facets that you compile should be perused off and on to boost your motivation level today, tomorrow and always. In addition, your self-respect, self-assuredness and security will stand greatly enhanced. Resultantly, you will appreciate your work, start enjoying it more and derive great job satisfaction. The point to note is that you need to glance at such jottings periodically and doing so will help you to negate the discouraging effects of downbeat issues.

· Take a sabbatical:  Do you remember the last occasion when you took a break from your busy routine? Most people accumulate their leave entitlements and after some time let it lapse. Therefore, it is always a good time to take some time off to relax and rejuvenate yourself. This will help you ward off fatigue. Even if you are not having problems doing whatever you like, you still need time to take a sabbatical and let bright ideas come to your mind. Indulging in a non-work related activity will facilitate this.

· Guide others & be guided: The likelihood of monotony and boredom about to creep into your routine cannot be totally discounted. Well, such a development can eventually be disastrous and hence nipping it in the bud is always recommended. You should focus on maintaining an appropriate work-life balance by pursuing leisure activities to include guiding others in their work. This will help you to evaluate your progress and new things learnt so and hence help you to share your knowledge with others. In a large number of instances, associating oneself with a guru can also be an exhilarating experience; interacting with somebody who has gone through what you are undergoing today and is currently in a position where you aspire to be. Guiding others and being guided by others can both be great impelling factors to perform better.

· Connect professionally:  If you join a professional club that has people of the same line as you, you will be presented with a plethora of supportive means. You will start building contacts with new people who face similar tests and contests as you. Just like an alumni meet of your school or college, attending organisational meetings as an ex-employee will be a motivating experience with support coming in from everybody.

· Pay attention to your wellbeing:  Happiness is more a state of health than of wealth. And a good rest is half the work. You may suffer from a fallacy that your work is a problem little realising that the problem lies with you, everything at work appearing to be okay notwithstanding. Remember that happiness starts with you and hence you should not falter on keeping yourself in good health – regular exercise, proper rest, healthy eating habits and an overall healthy conduct should be your focus.

 To be successful, the first thing to do is fall in love with your work. After all, work without love is slavery. And when you start taking pleasure in your job, you will automatically put perfection in your work.

Do you have a personal productivity outlook?

A comprehension of time-management facilitates a good grasp of whatever you are required to do. However, you have to ensure that whatever you are required to do is actually done; personal productivity facilitates precisely that. An inability to do so manifests a discrepancy in one of these fields; and is largely a result of a mismatched productivity outlook, that is, confusion about what and how you need to do something.   

Your personal productivity outlook comprises certain rudiments and if you are finding it difficult in handling any of them, you need to take stock of your productivity arrangements to make certain that you focus appropriately on all your pedestals. The important fundamentals of your productivity arrangements are:

· Visualisation:  When you have a personal productivity stance and attitude, you are not vague about whatever is required to be done by you at any time when the need arises. You will be able to discern the outcome and all follow-up actions so that forward movement is not hindered. You may not require to envision each and every action that will be undertaken as you move along.

· Alacrity:  If you are appropriately systematized and have a good personal productivity arrangement primed, you will automatically be aware of various actions required of you in all tasks being undertaken. And when you are assigned a fresh one, you will efficiently consider all known facts to decide on specific actions without problem or without wasting any time. The procedure that you have in place will serve to remind you of what to do and when to do; and obviate all hasty actions.

· Dynamism:  If you remain unnecessarily preoccupied, it is evident that there is something amiss. You are perhaps not clear about handling your own productivity. On the contrary, if you have a personal productivity outlook, you are better poised to work on the projects assigned to you, including what you are supposed to do. In this way, you can be dynamic and proficient but without getting unduly hectic. 

· Self-identity:  Self-identity is generally misconstrued with selfishness. You can be productive, however, if being so hinders other obligations, no useful purpose is served. You simply cannot afford to be not personally productive, or put in simple terms, you should not be feeling as if you are unimportant. If you have a personal productivity outlook, you will have a self-identity with distinct principles and precedence; and will habitually probe all activities that are not in sync.   

· Current Obligations:  If you do not have an effectual personal productivity scheme for yourself, you will be unable to fulfil your pledges. You will always be wishing to be told about pending tasks or engagements. But if you have a personal productivity outlook, you will not suffer any ambiguity of actions required and hence live in your present on the strength of your past with a deep focus into the future. In short, you will be in control of yourself and your work at hand.  

· Antipathies:  At workplace, you cannot harbour dislikes and complaints because they serve no purpose; and do not facilitate solution to problems. Moreover, antipathies drain out enthusiasm levels because of the strains caused by incessant pondering. Having a personal productivity outlook entails a self-assured disposition so that you can handle difficult situations efficiently. And to be firm and positive, you need to release all feelings of antipathy.

· Self-absorption:  This implies self-interest as distinct from selfishness; the former does not include any element of egoism or greediness. And if it does, the conclusion is that you have scant regard for others when they get upset. Self-absorption ought to be synonymous with self-effacing conduct so that you selflessly assist others to fulfil their requirements. While self-centredness and egocentricity may also be occasionally required, they are not recommended to handle life as an activity. The most apposite attitude is one of self-absorption in that you derive delight in helping others to attain their objectives but without giving up on your personal aspirations.   

· Precedence & Focus:  A personal productivity outlook helps you to determine anything required to be done at a particular time and thus facilitates concentration. You cannot engage in more than one activity concurrently or keep alternating from one task to another because you will not do justice to any of them. Moreover, you will consume more time and the final outcome will not be as favourable as it would have been if you had undertaken each task individually.

A good time-management disposition is inescapable to find out what you want to attain, accord precedence and discern what actions will be more fruitful. A personal productivity outlook ensures that you do whatever is required to be done; in other words, you are able to seize each of your obligation, choose the best option and make sure that relevant action is indulged in at the correct moment. While good time-management takes care of macro issues, your personal productivity outlook assures due consideration of micro matters. Combined, they help you to perform better and derive contentment.  

Don’t sabotage your career

If you were to look around you, a number of people will come to your notice – people who have always dreamt big, aspired for more and invariably attained whatever they sought. Such people have certain key attributes and indulge in actions that particularly open up the doors of success for them. At the other end of the spectrum would be people who are self-sabotaging and fail to achieve any success.  

You may have lofty professional objectives, but unless you embark upon the correct path, you will not attain any of them. Given below are six actions that will help you shape your professional image and elicit all encouragement when the going gets tough:

· Be sure & have well-defined aims:  This is an inescapable requirement to do well in life. You should be cloudless about what precisely you seek and what is relevant to you; and be willing to sacrifice everything for them. People fail in their careers because they are unable to fill in the blanks as related to their flair and urges in their efforts to find a correct career. They are unable to work hard to discern the contributory factors of their botches. Remember that if you are cognizant, you have more options at your disposal. All successful people remain unswerving in all their actions, including emulative ones. If you dispel all doubts and feel self-assured, countless windows of opportunities will open up for you and you will be able to clutch those that guarantee progress.

· Convert nervousness into motivation:  You should learn to do so as feelings of fear, persecution and helplessness are detrimental to your career interests. It is essential that you learn to display your capabilities and shoulder responsibilities; and take every development, good or bad in the correct stride. In fact, that is how you learn to move ahead. At your workplace, there will be a horde of influences on you and your performance and you should take them as learning experiences. In case you fail to do so and instead give up or take the path of confrontation, you will in no way benefit and success will always elude you. You have to discover ways and means to convert your desperation into an impelling force for change and progress.

· Put into effect your limits & cut-off point:  When you are clear about what you seek, you have to be robust and sturdy to safeguard your limits, respect your precedence and make the essentials of progress known. There are many people who know what they stand for and seek in life, but when it comes to taking initiative or a step forward, they buckle. The reasons for buckling could be diverse, but the fact is that you need to subdue your anxiety and self-doubt so that you are able to emerge solid and resilient enough to uphold your requirements and if necessary, demand them.

· Remain fully dedicated:  You should be like a tree that faces the storm but does not shake with it. You can always create positive circumstances for yourself even when everybody around you doubt you. Well, that calls for being venturesome but does not imply not making an allowance for such misgivings. You should view things in the correct perspective and apply mid-term corrections where necessary, soliciting assistance when indispensable. In other words, you pledge yourself to your objectives with no strings attached but concurrently displaying flexibility of approach. It is a well-known fact that people who are aware of their weaknesses and strive to overcome them invariably thrive in their careers and life alike. 

· Practise good communication skills:  Your written and spoken abilities have to be charismatic. You should know how to talk about your ventures and their outcomes so that others can take it as an example. You should know the reasons behind your actions and this will help you in drawing people close to you. In addition, you also need to support and encourage others; your supportive actions will project you in the correct light and boost your image.  

· Learn to work in a social environment:  You simply cannot exist or work in a void. You have to make efforts to build good associations that are long-lasting. Man is a gregarious animal and hence you need to understand the need to help and engage others to be successful. And you can do so if you share common principles and enjoy the confidence of others. It is important that you do not move around with airs about yourself or encourage sycophancy in any form. Any attempt to exert your authority in a negative manner will never pay you dividends.

It is not that career success cannot come to you otherwise, but then your career path will be full of distressing potholes and deviations. And when you eventually reach the endpoint, you will still be unsatisfied and disoriented.      

Bidding adios to a nerve-racking job

Do you happen to be in a job that is devouring you? Do you feel that you are remaining worried unnecessarily about your work? Is your work killing you?

The stress that prevails in your life because of your work need not persist forever. You can definitely institute some measures in your life and work routine to affect a reduction of stress in them; however, they may not lead you to your dream job. But you will surely find more elbow space for yourself and be able to generate a life that has been your vision or fantasy.

Here is how you can liberate yourself of the tensions, hassles, strains and whatever that tends to make you worry:

· Job dependence decrease through expenditure decrease:  There are several ways you can reduce your dependence on your job. It basically implies controlling your expenditures so that you learn to subsist with less. The luxury of modern lifestyle has made certain comforts a habit and necessity; you must get over them. You should refrain from indulging in unnecessary expenditure and doing away with those that are not offering you much except perhaps a status symbol. Remember that your money is your valued possession and you should spend it with care.

· Job dependence decrease through income supplements: Here again you have several ways available to you. You could exploit your talents to make extra buck – if you sing, performing at a club can make your income go up. Likewise, if your writing skills are good, you can author articles for newspapers and magazines; the honorariums that you receive will be good. You could also take to private tuitions in your spare time or do away with domestic helps.

· Discuss issues with your folks at home & friends:  Everything may not be encouraging to start with; you may even run into disapproval of your actions. You should not be disheartened with the initial opposition and hostility; instead maintaining an upbeat outlook all through and through should be your focus. If you are candid and sincere in conveying your envisioned plot; and incorporate them in your scheme of things, you will find that their backing will be forthcoming. It is essential that you describe to them the way your present job is prejudicing and damaging your life; and how starting a new life will help you and others stand in good stead.

· Look for a new job or earnings attuned with your life:  The new job that you may get into may perhaps not necessarily have to be your dream job. If you are convinced of your capability to get into a job that is ideal in all context, there should not be any reluctance on your part. Your aim should be to say goodbye to your current job that happens to be devastating you and your life. In this process, you will be able to consolidate your plan and remain on rails for years and years hereafter. Issues like working hours and fresh experience being gained should always be on your radar screen.

· Resolve whatever you want your life to be:  This essentially implies discerning whatever makes you feel exultant and contented. In consideration of these aspects, you should deliberate if you need to continue with your present organisation or seek a lateral transfer. You may like to become an entrepreneur and hence it is essential that you do some introspection and internal contemplation.  In this context, it will be appropriate to delve back to your years at high school and recall something that you aspired to do but was prevented from doing so. Perhaps, now it is the time to take off from that point.

· Plan & strategize for your future:  You could have been neglecting your career plan and not had time to add on additional qualifications. Or perhaps all these years you have been a bit too extravagant and not saved much for a rainy day. You need to formulate a concrete line of action for your future; this would compulsorily entail interacting with people in fields of your interest and discerning what all does such an effort involve. You will be amazed to learn that you may be suffering from fallacies and wrong notions with regard to various qualitative requirements; and that given your current qualifications, you can still get into a field of work that inspires you.

· Get going with all earnestness:  You should get into a dynamic mode and move ahead in small steps in attaining your objectives. All that you need to do is give yourself an undertaking and simply work hard to live up to your pledge.     

In your quest for happiness at work, you should constantly refer to your hopefulness and vision. Do not ever reflect on your exasperation; instead think of your unexploited abilities. But remember that anything that is worthwhile is achievable only through hard work and there is no substitute for it.

Career advancement in a ‘flat’ organisation

Modern workplaces are more or less ‘flat’ – shortened pecking orders, reduced number of designations and an absence of traditional offices at the end of a corridor. The general working environment in a flat organisation is democratic and quite a few people enjoy and succeed in it. There are others who are invariably support promotion policies, system of appointments and designation and other requirements of a vertical workplace; they are generally very apprehensive and lose sleep over the issue of their own career progression.

Any worry related to career advancement in a flat organisation is unjustified. Even though there are limited people at the apex, people down the ladder can still increase their knowledge base so that their job prospects stand facilitated. The catch lies in looking beyond the gratifications obtainable by performing well and also making efforts to acquire newer skills, realizing aspirations and heightening your value. To be able to do this, you need to:

· Be an expert in your own field: There are several flat organisations who do not waste time in promoting people, particularly in managerial positions. On the contrary, the work-force is divided into teams who have no restrictions on managing themselves. While a team leader is necessary to coordinate matters, the appointment per se is on a rotational basis, thereby affording a chance for exposure to everybody. In most ‘vertical’ organisations, high performers get to hold managerial positions, which, in fact, drifts them away from their forte. In flat organisations, high performers are compensated with responsibilities to lead additional projects so that a feeling of ownership is instilled in them. The emphasis is thus on becoming an experienced specialist rather than a simple manager. The opportunities afforded help in monumental expansion of knowledge base so that mastery over job is attained. While this may not be akin to ascending the career ladder in the true sense of the word, however, the expertise acquired stands a person in good stead in the years to follow.

· Be the supposed person above you:  Flat organisations are conspicuous by the absence of any person in charge to manage affairs, traditional pecking orders, stipulated work timings or conventional salary grades. All arrangements are free, open and unrestricted with equal opportunities for everyone. All employees are in the decision-making loop in some form or the other, including those related to individual benefits. The mantle of responsibility and headship automatically falls on an individual who happens to be an active player at that time. In the light of the foregoing, everybody gets a chance to conceive, plan, implement and steer projects. Every individual thus serves to galvanise others and be at the wheels of their own destiny.

· Be an advisor and guide simultaneously:  Flat organisations may not have conventional hierarchies, nevertheless beginners and underlings will still need people whom they can look up to. Pecking orders are thus substituted by working relationship – whether in the same team or outside it. By advising and guiding others, besides sharing your knowledge, bolstering of skills and display of dynamism are achieved. You also tend to derive immense contentment when you bring about a change in the life of fellow-workers.

· Grasp whatever you can & retain the option to branch off: The best method to affect career advancement in a flat organisation is by laying emphasis on acquisition of additional skills and if windows of opportunities are available, grasp them to begin a fresh venture. The pertinent point is that irrespective of whether an individual assumes greater responsibility within an organisation or decides to embark upon a new venture, cordiality of relationships is maintained in so such so that even post-departure is cordial, people look up to old associates for guidance. This manifests the fact that there are immense prospects for career advancement beyond old but time-tested and customary pecking orders.

Things have changed in the current times. Today, the only thing that is power is knowledge because it organises, directs and influences opportunity and progress. A flat organisation encourages you to take on assignments outside your specific charter of duties and facilitates participation in collaborative ones with other employees in different departments. It therefore, affords you knowledge and helps you to work to become, that is, advance forward. You work habitually more than what is expected of you and do not regard your past as your potential; since opportunities come your way, you can always elect to liberate your future. You get to climb the ladder of success by stepping on the rungs of opportunity

Getting into a career that is great for you

We all have different interests and aspirations. If that be so, it is not possible to pinpoint a career that goes with everybody. Therefore, the vexed question is, ‘How do you choose a career that is great for you?’ Here is what you should deliberate upon while making this vital choice:

· Intrinsic abilities: Everybody possesses some inherent skills and as clock keeps ticking, there will be bouquets to reward our capacities. It is important to know where your inherent skills lie because they have a significant influence on selecting a career. There will be a horde of other fields where one can acquit well, but then the efforts involved could be colossal. You should identify tasks that you derive pleasure from and then figure out how your intrinsic abilities can be applied to make them more interesting.

· Approach to & method of working:  One may acknowledge it or not, every individual prefers to do work in a particular manner. This methodology of doing things can interfere intensely with your career selection. You should be clear about the work & workplace that goes well with you so that you can experience superior satisfaction.

· Location of work:  You may like to work from a location that appeals to you the most – it could well be an office at the end of a corridor on the top floor of a multi-storeyed building in commercial hubs or a small premises in an uptown locality. It is possible that jobs involving plenty of travel are not made for you. Hence, your work-location will influence your career selection.

· Affability & sociability:  You may be a loner and feel comfortable remaining aloof. It is possible that appreciate team-functioning and get inspired by the requirements of others and your capability to resolve issues. Identification and cognizance of your preferences is important and will help you in selecting an appropriate career. 

· Work-life balance: This is all contingent on your outlook and personal inclinations; and the priorities that you attach to various contributory factors. In case you seek a career that will afford you more time for your domestic issues and leisure, jobs that have fixed timings are great for you.

· Perennial spotlight: There are some careers that let the spotlight remain on you, you enjoy intense public interaction and acceptance. Such careers bestow renown on you; you should understand the ramifications of being in the limelight 24/7 and be clear about the effect on you – whether as a responsibility, compulsion or prospect. Your preference in this context should be a deciding factor in selecting a career.

· Coping with work pressures:  There are many people who want to remain in the loop and like to flourish on monumental aims and cut-offs. The environment places great reliance on you for your capacity to work and withstand related pressures. In case you are one who is anxious to do something in a stipulated manner and with strict deadlines, you will acquit yourself well in high-pressure jobs. But in case you seek to be relaxed, you will have to search for other options.  

 

· Remuneration expected: When you move ahead in your life and career, your expectations vis-à-vis your salary package will undergo a change. You will have a family to look after and with passage of time, your obligations will increase. It is likely that your spouse may be working and in the bargain, you have a dual income. However, you will have to take a call on whether it is alright to settle for less income or earn more by conceding on other aspects of your life. You must take on a career that goes with your desire for more or less money.

It is possible that you may not be able to decide on a career at the current juncture. You have an alternative at hand – embark upon a track that is perceived as correct by making an appropriate judgement with elbow room to change it subsequently. In the current times, you need not continue with one pursuit lifelong; all that you need to do is to make a clever choice today and plan to take stock of things five or ten years hence in consonance with the ultimate targets that you have set for yourself.

You must acknowledge the fact that you will change with time and so will your requirements of finances, freedom, balance and recognition. However, for the present, you ought to reflect on various issues highlighted above and there will be no difficulty in selecting a career that is great for you.