By Christine Tso, HR Account Specialist
Let’s do the simple math: 40/week *50+/- weeks in a year = approximately 2,000 hours per year. They say you spend a third of your life at work, so you BETTER love your job.
With a few career exceptions, most people live at work. You live, laugh, and play here; you even brush your teeth here. You see your coworkers more than you see your family, so much so, that they start to become your family. Your boss can make or break you, as the head honcho sets the tone in any organization (while they simultaneously have the ability to set you up for adoption). It is safe to say that the people of any organization have a big influence on how much you love your job.
Your coworkers as your siblings The relationships with your coworkers entail symbiotic relationships; relationships where roles overlap, interact, and depend on each other for survival. Professionally, your coworkers offer a vast resource of knowledge and connections. Roles are split across big organizations, but they depend on each other to complete a goal and process. Personally, you can make great friends here and you can rely on them to offer support when you fail professionally.
TIP Be social. No matter how busy you are, find ways to cultivate relationships with everyone. The best way to find a friend is to be a friend.
TIP In addition to cultivating new relationships, maintain past ones. Email a mentor or old professor to meet for coffee.
Goal setting Goal setting is vital for personal and professional growth. It is important to keep challenging yourself so that you can be proud of past accomplishments and visualize new ones.
TIP Be tactful in goal attainment because it isn’t enough to know what you want; you have to know ways to get what you want.
TIP Verbally acknowledge a goal to a colleague; you’re more likely to stick with it if you have a knowing support system.
TIP Find a professional role model who may help you tack down weaknesses and benchmark them.
Focus on ‘I Take responsibility for your actions and avoid blaming others for unwanted outcomes; this will strengthen your awareness and allow you to focus on the only thing that you can control: YOURSELF!
TIP Complete a SWOT analysis. It is critical to know your Strengths, Weaknesses,Opportunities and Threats. Being aware of your day-to-day progress is empowering and prepares you for success by creating a framework for improvement.
Zen organization As a naturally unorganized person, I always saw A types as uptight and stressed. Recently I came to discover that the complete opposite is true. Organization goes hand in hand with goal setting and allows you to complete goals in a timely manner, leaving your mind free of clutter to take on the next challenge.
TIP De-clutter physical workplace. Write down goals and tasks in order to complete them. Secure a time for each in your schedule and be realistic about how long each task takes. Prioritize time sensitive items and schedule low-level tasks for another day.
Find your PASSION! Why do you do what you do? Why do you have this job? Whatever you do, I hope you enjoy doing it. The only thing worse than working at a job that you hate, is working with a coworker who hates their job.
TIP If you recognize a failure or weakness, take responsibility for it and work to improve it. Order a book related to your field, as it is essential to stay informed about current issues.
TIP Watch 3 videos on www.RoadtripNation.com of successful people in your area of interest and get inspired.
TIP Be satisfied by not being satisfied. If you hate your job, there is no shame in leaving it to find something more fulfilling. Do not be afraid of trying new things. Life is too short to hate your job – after all, we live here.