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By:Bob Epperly
Happy @ Work
Ready to reap the rewards of a job well and happily done? Even in a tight economy, job satisfaction isn't a luxury; fulfilled, happy employees are productive, innovative, and loyal. And workplace fulfillment spills over into happier families and better communities.
In Jim Donovan's new book, HAPPY @ WORK, you'll learn shift-producing strategies on everything from managing time, making decisions, and marking milestones to breaking patterns, bouncing back, and becoming exceptional. Each tip's method and rationale are clearly explained, and real workplace vignettes demonstrate the benefits and results that can be gleaned from simple shifts and actions.
HAPPY @ WORK will empower you with the knowledge that no matter the circumstance, you can think, act, and feel in ways that create purpose, success, and, yes, happiness.
Where Hard Work Can Take You
From the beginning of life we are meant to be happy and joyous. It is all too easy to be bogged down by negative experiences or life challenges, but every day, we can choose our responses to our circumstances. On the journey of life, I've learned to choose happy, joyful and positive thoughts during challenging times or in situations that are trying to bring me down. Good old-fashioned work ethics can bring you far in life. I heard a great quote the other day from my neighbor, "Some people are lucky-- but the harder I work the luckier I get!"…
3 Compassionate Strategies for Living
I would share three bits of advice that have guided me and served me well in my life. 1. Always do your best. When you do your best, you will be proud of yourself. Being proud of yourself increases your self-confidence. I believe that self-confidence is an important key to success, in your career and in your life. Beware however: doing your best means that you are laying it on the line. When you do your best, you know that you have no one but yourself to blame if things don't work out like you want. 2. Treat everyone with…
The Reality of Finding Balance
The biggest issue people have when trying to schedule their upcoming week is they are attempting to bring this "Work-Life Balance" theory into the realm of reality. The thing is, this "Work-Life Balance" notion is a completely hypothetical theory - and not a fact-based practice. Believe it or not, motivational speakers can make a handsome living simply by inserting the words "work", "life", and "balance" into any seminar title. I receive phone calls regularly from people who want me to help them achieve this critical balance between their work and their lives. It seems that balance is something that most…
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By:Debra Smith
Let Your Genius Work For You!
Do you know what genius work is? As a leader within your company, are you spending today doing genius work... the kind of work that is the most valuable and best use of your time? Genius work can be defined as a peak performance state-of-mind. This means that when you are immersed in the genius work you most love and you are working on the projects that require your maximum attention, the results will be world-class! Doing genius work also means that you are focusing on the activities and the action steps that will deliver high impact results, on both…
Americans Hate Their Jobs? Shocking!
I recently came across a headline that read “Americans Hate Their Jobs.” And at one time, I was one of them. And because of that, every time I give a talk on the importance of purpose in our life and work, I always talk about engagement, or better yet, the lack of engagement in the workplace today. Did you know that approximately 70% of employees are disengaged in their jobs? Nearly 20% poison the workplace. And this results in $550 billion annually in lost productivity. In other words, employers would be better off paying these people to stay home. The…
4 Ways to Manage Workplace Stress
Workers seem more and more stressed every day. Technology has created expectation of an immediate response 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Short-term thinking and planning based on the focus of quarterly stock reports has increased the sense of importance for every project. We feel everything is an urgent priority needing instant attention. The “doing more with less” mentality has increased the amount of our responsibilities and what is expected of us. This has created a culture of inefficient multi-tasking. Below are four ways you can reduce the amount of stress you feel at…
How Do I Take The Next Step in My Career?
"As a medical professional, I feel that I have reached a plateau at my job. I love the job with all of my heart (patients). I work hard on a daily basis. I feel that I could use a pay increase. It has been 6 years since I last had an increase in pay. At the same time, I feel with all of my heart that I was put on earth to do something really great as far as serving people. How do I find out what my next step is in life? I feel stuck." ~ Brenda, Georgia Hi Brenda,…
What Have You Lost in Constantly ‘Doing’?
In our fast-paced, multi-tasking, on-the-go-deadline driven work, we are often caught up in the act of “doing.” We move from task to task on our to-do list. We rush from work to class to home. We keep pushing ourselves to do more and do it better. But what is the cost? Do you have hobbies? Do you have passions? Or have you lost who you are to all of the things you are doing outside of yourself? Do you sleep well at night? Are you fit? Do you feel good in your body? What is your blood pressure? How is…
Why Are You Reluctant to Stop Doing It All?
When the behaviors of a Type A are out of control, we can take responsibility for situations and outcomes, for the feelings and experience or others, and for absolutely everything around us. We think everything is our responsibility, and thus, within our control to affect. We fear if we don’t take care of everything needing to get done, there will be horrible consequences. The stress coming from being overtaken by our Type-A tendencies, eventually takes a toll on our mood, mental clarity, relationships, work satisfaction, and our health. The goal of this book is to help reduce these negative side effects of…
Have You Become a Type A Personality?
The concept of a Type A personality has not been around for long. It was actually identified in the 1950s by two cardiologists, Drs. Meyer Friedman and Ray Rosenman, who were studying coronary heart disease. They found a link between personality types and heart disease. According to their research, they identified three types of behaviors: Type A, which they labeled as competitive, ambitious, impatient, aggressive, and fast-talking; Type B, which is more relaxed and non-competitive; and Type C, which is hardworking, but becomes apathetic when faced with stress. Those considered Type A were more prone to having high blood pressure,…
Happy Labor Day!
Happy Labor Day! When you think about that statement, it seems like somewhat of an oxymoron, wishing someone a happy day celebrating the fact that they have to work. Labor Day was originally created to celebrate the labor movement, dedicated to the social and economic achievements of the workers. It honors the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity and well-being of the country. Yet, if you ask most people, they would prefer to never have to work another day in their life. According to a 2013 Gallop Poll, The State of the American Workplace, 70% of Americans described themselves as…
How Do I Find My Gift In Life?
"I work at a hospital and I'm not sure what my gift is in life -- I'm not sure what I like doing. Need help!" ~ Vivian, Chicago, IL Dear Vivian, I can so appreciate your question! Just a few years ago I was in the same place myself - in a job I was good at but didn’t love and feeling empty inside, like I didn’t know where I was headed. I think I can help you with this by sharing a bit of my journey with you. First, it’s important to recognize that even if we are good…
Working for a Living
Recently whenever I talk to a client or friend about their job, I hear: I have lost the passion for my work. My co-worker undermined my project. It seems we only shuffle paper and no longer provide anything of true value. My boss took credit for my work. I have to work overtime again, without pay. There is too much work to do. I am completely overwhelmed. Once again, I had a nervous breakdown in my office. There are many reasons we feel this way. The economy tanked out in 2008 and led to layoffs but the same amount of…
Embracing the Whole Person Concept
Philosopher Dr. Mortimer J. Adler was the first to introduce the Whole Person Concept, which challenges us to strive for a proper balance in all aspects of our lives—spending meaningful time with family and friends, maintaining our health, enriching our lives, becoming all that we can be, giving back to our communities, learning to manage our financial affairs, and growing in our spiritual lives. At its core, the Whole Person Concept is learning to balance our work, our lives, and our successes. The Whole Person Concept encourages us to remember the importance of growing and learning, and it reminds me…
How Do I Find the Courage to Quit?
"I really need to quit my job but have a family to support. The biggest obstacle is money and time. Can you please provide any tips on courage and taking the business leap?" ~ Erick, Henderson, NV For starters, you could start a side business and keep working until the side business generates enough income to quit. That is what I did when I first quit my job. Fear often replaces courage when we become overwhelmed by the monumental nature of the task ahead, like "how am I going to build a business with enough income to support my family."…