Fanning the Flames: Seven Ways to Stay Excited About Coming to Work

"Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom."—Victor L. Frankl, Austrian psychologist.

Remember when you were young and idealistic, when work was still new and exciting, when problems seemed to automatically reframe themselves as challenges and every day was a new chance to learn? Do you ever wonder what happened to those days? They're not really gone. They're just buried under an adult patina of care, worry, and stress. If you're willing to try, you can remove the patina and rediscover your excitement about your work.

What will it take? The shock treatment of finding a newer, less toxic, more interesting, or more challenging job that better fits your talents? Perhaps you need to shift a few piles of work and polish your idealism up to get it sparkling again. Maybe all you need is a serious vacation. Or stop taking things too seriously, while remaining dedicated to your deadlines. Try these seven simple things to be happier about your work:

1.     Make fewer, more realistic commitments. It's easier to enjoy your work more and feel better about yourself if you’re not so stressed about meeting your unrealistic commitments. Stop making so many promises you can’t keep—ideally, don't take on any new ones until you complete the existing ones—and in the future, carefully choose only those you know you can reasonably accomplish with a bit of stretch.

2.     Make fewer decisions. A prevailing theory suggests you only have so much decision-making ability per day before you suffer energy and ego depletion. Nearly everything requires a decision, but you can cut back on how many you must make by simplifying your life and establishing routines. And apparently, a sugary snack or drink (with real glucose) can help you recover your decision-making energy.

3.     Avoid negative people. Whiners, grouches, downers, and other people with negative outlooks are toxic to happiness and excitement. They'll always find a way to rain on your parade. Stay away from them as much as possible—relatives included.

4.     Stay mindful. Stop worrying about the past, and don't overthink what might happen in the future. Keep your mind on the present, active and on point. Don't let go and function on cruise control when it's time to think and work hard, or you'll lose track of important things and end up somewhere in the weeds. Mindfulness requires living in the moment and thoughtfully working toward your next milestone and goal.

5.     Get to know your coworkers better. You may be happier if you connect with your coworkers at a deeper level. Shift some of your focus to your team rather than yourself. It usually feels good to help other people, and it can't hurt to store up good will for when you need a little help later.

6.     Improve yourself. Whenever you can find the time, take the time to learn something new, even if it means paying for it yourself. Additional training, continuing education, conferences, workshops, and occasional classes can prove instrumental in making you feel more confident about yourself and your job performance. The better you feel about yourself, the happier (and more excited) about work you're likely to be.

7.     Pretend you're new to your job again. Stop for a moment and try to remember the way you felt when you first started your job, when everything felt novel and exciting, and you weren't overwhelmed. Try to recover this feeling. It may not be easy, but if you can overlay that hopeful sense of challenge over the everyday humdrum, you'll likely find it easier to move forward with a renewed sense of interest and vigor.

Shiny, Happy People

Everyone knows that people who love their jobs work harder. It's been scientifically proven, though no one really needed it to be. If you're excited at work, you're more likely to own your job, embrace what you do, and fully engage—the employer's Holy Grail. It's never just up to your employer to keep you excited—your happiness is your responsibility. I'm not saying you can just flip a switch and "choose excited." Despite the fondest hopes of some optimists, humans don't really work that way. But you can change your circumstances and attitude.

? 2019 Laura Stack. Laura Stack, MBA, CSP, CPAE is an award-winning keynote speaker, bestselling author, and noted authority on employee and team productivity. She is the president of The Productivity Pro, Inc., a company dedicated to helping leaders increase workplace performance in high-stress environments. Stack has authored eight books, including FASTER TOGETHER: Accelerating Your Team's Productivity (Berrett-Koehler 2018). She is a past president of the National Speakers Association, and a member of its exclusive Speaker Hall of Fame (with fewer than 175 members worldwide). Stack's clients include Cisco Systems, Wal-Mart, and Bank of America, and she has been featured on the CBS Early Show and CNN, and in the New York Times. To have Laura Stack speak at an upcoming meeting or event, call 303-471-7401 or contact us online.