We tend to make our daily work lives much more complicated than they need to be. Keeping life simple is not an easy task, especially at work. By focusing on the following ideas, you may find that you can condition yourself to manage everything at work and outside of work with a healthier perspective:
• Live in the present. You may have heard this idea before, but it works. Regretting something that you did yesterday and worrying about tomorrow is wasted energy. Yesterday is gone and tomorrow is not promised. The next hour is not even promised. Make the moments count, as you can never have them back.
• Don’t stay in a job that is not a fit. Regardless of whether it is your boss, your co-workers, the workplace environment or the work, it may be time to move on to the next opportunity. Try not to mentally quit and physically stay at a job that does not work for you.
• Take on one task at a time.
• Multitasking is a nice buzzword but can add immeasurably to stress and job dissatisfaction.
• Turn your mobile device off when you get home or at least ignore anything work related, including emails, texts and other posts, as they can wait until tomorrow. It may be tough at first but try it for a week. Unplugging is a great way to simplify your life.
• Every day attempt to make your focus to positively impact your family, co-workers, customers and the community. One random act of kindness in each of these areas can make a world of difference in someone’s life and yours.
• Make today better than yesterday and repeat this approach tomorrow. Don’t live for the weekend, as living two out of every seven days is a horrible way to exist.
• Be home for dinner each night if you can (and don’t forget to turn off the phone).
• Work hard at working smart. It’s not about the hours you put in at work, it’s about the work you put into your hours.
• Hang out with people who make you a better co-worker, leader and person.
• As every moment counts in your life, recognize there is no time to waste. If you do, you will make better decisions about how you spend your time.
• Don’t hit the snooze button in the morning. Those extra minutes lying in bed add up. Think of the time you will be giving yourself to enjoy life if you just get up and get going.
• Ask yourself each morning — “How can I make a difference in the world today?” Then go out and do it.
• Exercise, get enough rest and eat healthy. The benefits of doing all three can be incredible.
• Allow yourself to laugh and have fun each day.
• Focus on the positive whenever
possible.
• Figure out solutions to problems rather than complaining about the problems.
• Be grateful. Be generous. Be humble. Be selfless.
• Find your passion and then live your passion.
• Remember, you can reboot your life any time you want.
• You probably have some basic rules you live by. We make the life we lead, so why not make the very best day today that you can despite any hardship you may be facing. Every day is not promised to be a bowl of cherries. Quite the contrary. As we grow older, we realize that moments of happiness are fleeting. Seek to maximize those times and multiply those special moments.
When you look back and judge your life, hopefully you can say that each day you gave it your best regardless of the outcomes. When you do that, you will most likely have lived a life that had meaning, purpose and made a difference.
Don’t ever underestimate your importance in this world. Toward the end of your work career, you may realize that success was never about job title, money or status. These are all artificial and, in the end, meaningless. True life fulfillment and happiness result from knowing, believing and loving what you are doing each and every day.
Pat Perry is the host of the Success Wave podcast, author of two business books (perrybiz.com) and a NEO Business Hall of Fame member.
