Hows Work Going?

Think how often you see a friend or an acquaintance that you may not have seen for a few weeks or months and the question comes up: "How's work going?"

What's a typical response for you? "Fine." "O.k." "Oh, I'm hanging in there" "It's all right." Or maybe even: "Horrible" "I'm going absolutely nutty!" or "Why'd you have to bring it up!"

When you ask the question, or when the question is asked of you, how come the typical response isn't: "Fantastic!" "Wonderful!" or "Couldn't be better!"?

Think about how much of your life you spend working. We'll say the average person works 40 hours a week, 50 weeks a year, for 45 years? That's 90,000 hours, which is 3,750 days which works out to just about 10.25 solid years! If the average person lives to be 75, then we are spending roughly 1/7th of our life at work punching the old time clock!

If you are going to spend 1/7th of your life doing anything? shouldn't you be doing something that gives you a sense of worth and satisfaction if not absolute elation?

Granted, many people truly love their work. They can't wait to get up in the morning to get to the office, or to get on the road, or to start a new project. But I would argue this isn't the case with most people.

So how do we enjoy the same passion and love for what we do that some select others enjoy?

Why not start by copying the attributes that these individuals have? I recognize many things that we may be able to copy, but three stand out more than others.

People who truly enjoy their work:

1. Chose a line of work that they love and that excites them,

2. Have specific goals and accomplishments that they would like to attain and,

3. Have a positive self-image and enjoy higher levels of self-confidence than most.

First, chose a line of work that you love and that excites you. The old adage holds true, "Do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life."

So often we are torn between choosing a career that we love, and choosing the career that will bring us the big paycheck! Is that big paycheck ultimately worth your sanity and your happiness?

My experience is that it isn't. At best, the paycheck becomes an outlet for you to try and enjoy yourself outside of work. This causes other problems like inordinate amounts of debt, materialism, and other worries.

Why not choose a career that you truly love, regardless of the paycheck attached to it, and then figure out how to make money at it?

For example, forget about the paycheck and become a public school teacher like you've always wanted to. Then develop a new teaching method or product that you can market and sell to the public.

Do what you love and then if you desire riches, figure out how to make money at it!

Secondly, people who truly love their work and get a lot of satisfaction out of it have specific goals or accomplishments that they are always working for.

It may be developing a new product, leading the sales force in sales, touching a student's life every week, or getting that promotion you've always wanted. Whatever the case, my personal experience and my observations of others is that as soon as you stop working towards a specific goal, the passion you have for your work begins to fizzle and fade away.

Set goals regularly and review those goals in order to keep yourself on track. I recommend setting daily, weekly, monthly and yearly goals in addition to having longer-term goals (1-5 years, 5-15 years, and 15+ years).

Review your goals on a daily basis and update your goals at least monthly.

Finally, work on your self-image and self-confidence.

I think many would argue that these two attributes are a result of success and fulfillment at work - they would be right in a sense. The more you succeed, the better self-image and confidence you will have.

However, positive self-image and self-confidence are self-fulfilling prophecies. You have to have them before you can have them? you know!?

Let me explain. The way our subconscious sees ourselves is the way that our actions will project to others.

In other words, if you believe yourself to be lacking in the necessary experience and expertise to manage the division that just opened up, then the powers that be who are interviewing you for the job will notice that you project a lack of experience and expertise needed for the job.

Conversely, if your subconscious sees yourself as knowledgeable and confident, then the image you will project to others is one of being an expert in your field.

Your actions justify your belief.

As you project and gain a more positive self-image and more powerful confidence, your work will begin to become more fulfilling and enjoyment is never far behind true fulfillment.

I know that your work can truly become a labor of love when you prepare yourself, improve yourself, and put yourself in a winning position. Hopefully, the next time someone asks: "How's work going?" you can answer: "Never been better!"

To Your Success,

Joel S. Nelson operates Harvest Mind Enterprises, an operation targeted to individuals interested in developing personally by harvesting the power of the subconscious mind. He has spent years studying the power of the subconscious mind and the science of success. He believes that growing up we were taught the wrong things about success and personal achievement by our parents, in school, and on T.V. and that society perpetuates those misconceptions. Joel's goal is to reverse the damage done by bringing the science of achievement to one million people by the year 2020. For more articles like this one, go to http://www.harvestyourmind.com/newsletter.html

© 2005 Joel S. Nelson

---

4 Steps to Set Your Mind for Success

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our... Read More

10 Questions: Do You Have What It Takes?

Do you have what it takes to be really successful?Have... Read More

Reach Your Goals - Have A Theraputic Meltdown

Have a therapeutic meltdown It's crunch time: you're two days... Read More

The 7 Keys To Astonishing Success

Here are seven essential keys to success. Use these ideas... Read More

Top Ten Success Strategies

1. Believe in yourself and what it is you do.... Read More

Manifest Away

The sun crept over the horizon and lodged itself above... Read More

Live the Dream

To achieve what you want, what you desire, needs a... Read More

Leave a Legacy

What do Sam Walton, Ray Kroc, Hilton, Marriot, Firestone, Elvis... Read More

There Is Room For Everyone At The Top

Do you believe that? Do you believe we can all... Read More

Learn Faster, Change is Coming

Challenges posed by recent economic and market shifts, though predicted... Read More

Remembering What You Read - Nine Effective Strategies

Reading lots these days? Having trouble remembering and recalling? For... Read More

Become a Good Observer

We must never allow a day to pass without finding... Read More

My First Major Failure

Thomas Edison wrote his quote " I have not failed,... Read More

Busy, Busy, Busy

Being busy has become a way of life for many... Read More

How to Develop a Millionaires Mind

You have a choice today?You can remain in the same... Read More

Attitude Is The Key To Success

We all want success in life. We want success in... Read More

Reach Your Goals - Give Back

Give back Once you've achieved success, use your skills, talents,... Read More

Reach Your Goals - Creative Multi-Tasking

Multi-task goal-completion work with everyday, "have to" activities If you... Read More

The 5 Categories You Want To Succeed In

If it comes to the question what we really want... Read More

Success Begins and Ends With You

Success is a word that is much used in our... Read More

Learning From Failure--What To Do When You Blow It!

Becoming successful is not easy. We all get tossed around... Read More

Success Doesnt Always Come Easy

On a raw, cold day in the European Alps, Lance... Read More

Success Lessons from Baseball - Enthusiasm And Excitement Can Make The Difference

I remember, about 35 years ago, reading two books by... Read More

Transform Your Fear Into Focus!

The greatest deterrent to success in life is fear. It... Read More

Maximizing Your Potential: Using Your Brain to Think

The Chicago Times once printed that Henry Ford was an... Read More

The Amazing 3-Step Formula To Success!

Believe it or not, there is a special 3-step formula... Read More

The Ultimate Formula for Success

Why is true success so rare?Why does research show that... Read More

Reach Your Goals - Progressive Goal Party

Hold a "progressive" goal party If you have a group... Read More

Reach Your Goals - The Fine Art Of The End Run

Perfect the fine art of the end run From time... Read More

Reach Your Goals - Make A Game Out Of It

Make a game out of reaching your goals Go to... Read More

Your Success

Success starts in your mind. Positive Thinking creates the advantage.Success... Read More

Becoming a Success Giant!

IntroductionSuccess - we all read about it, hear it on... Read More

A Field of Multiple Opportunity

Opportunity is all around us and has many facets, but... Read More