January 2021
If
equal opportunity employment journal
Page 15
4 Practical Steps to Finding Passion at Work
the thought of going to work five days a week for your foreseeable future feels like a cruel life sentence, then you're not alone. According to Gallup, 70 percent of all Americans are completely disengaged in their jobs.
The United States seems to be a nation of timecard-punching zombies waiting for the weekend. But this doesn't have to be the case. You can have happiness, passion and love for your job, starting today. Here's how:
Stop complaining and tart appreciating.
Warning: this step will be difficult. There are things about your job that you legitimately can call "bad," and having a healthy venting session can be a much-needed pressure release that helps you get back to the business of being awesome. But complaining is usually just a needless exercise in negativity that compounds your bad mood and makes you feel worse. Instead of complaining about something at work, ask yourself, "Are there any aspects of this that I can appreciate?" or "What about my job made me smile today?" If you ask yourself questions that have positive answers, you set yourself up for feeling good when you might normally feel grouchy and annoyed. You may have to dig deep to find things to appreciate about your job, but if you work at it, being in a positive state can become a habit. Once you start actively looking for positives, you'll be blown away by how quickly your perspective can shift and how much fun it can be to discover all the little nuggets of happiness at work.
Get clear on what you want.
People often feel unhappy at work because they feel stuck. However, those people probably can't tell you what their plan for the future is because they are so wrapped up in their right-now that they have no energy left for their future. That is a recipe for stagnation and frustration. You have to give your future at least as much energy as you give your present if you ever want to see it come to life. Try this exercise to get your energy shifting from the right-now to the next year: write on a piece of paper "I add value to the world because," and start listing all of your strengths and why you're valuable. Next, get a clear vision of what you want your next year to look like. Do you want to have a different job? Travel? Help the homeless? Teach someone to read? Write a book? Start your own business? Get a promotion? Move to a different department? Whatever it is that you want to do, write it down. Lastly, create a plan of action and do it. The point is to have a target to shoot for and a plan to accomplish it. Google what you need to get started. Shift your focus from where you are to where you want to be. Once you have a goal and a plan, being at work won't feel like a prison sentence. It'll feel more like a tool to help finance your journey to your next step -- because even dreamers gotta eat. Turning your frown upside down isn't going to happen overnight. But with time and practice, you'll find lots of ways to make your days at work easier, more fun and more fulfilling. This ultimately will aid you in moving on to something bigger and better. Focus on your future and use the right now to prepare for what you want, and your days will be filled with magic.
The Agricultural Division of Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, L.L.C. is located in Des Moines, Iowa, stands on almost 120 acres and has 1,000 teammates. Our company offers a competitive benefits package and many development opportunities for our teammates, including leadership training and technical training. To view current openings or to apply online visit
www.bebridgestone.com
Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, L.L.C. Agricultural Division 4600 N.W. 2nd Street | Des Moines, IA 50313 | EOE
Parker Hannifin provides many opportunities for you to further your career. We offer a variety of established career paths in engineering, accounting, marketing, sales, business analysis, human resources, information technology and production.
To view a complete listing of open positions at Parker Hannifin, visit online at:
www.parker.com
4 4 0 0 E a s t H i g h w a y 3 0 • K e a r n e y, N E 6 8 8 4 7 Parker Hannifin is an EO Employer, M/F/V/D
