Which Half Are You?
When more than half of Americans were identified as overweight,
people took notice. Major news outlets began educating on how to
stay out, or get out, of that statistic. I wish the same
attention had been paid when the Conference Board released their
statistics saying half of Americans are satisfied with their job.
Of course, that means, half are dissatisfied. Disliking your job
is hazardous to your health and well-being, too. You can't be
winning at working if you're dissatisfied with your work or
languishing in the status-quo of dislike.
Spending the majority of your waking hours dissatisfied, like
being overweight, weighs you down, depletes your energy, and
kidnaps your spirit. You can change all that. And looking for a
new job should not be where you start. At least not yet.
First consider what is causing your dissatisfaction. Maybe it's
that annoying coworker or irritating boss that's holding you
back. Maybe if you only made more money. Maybe the work's boring
or the company's unfair. Whatever your reasons, pause your
thinking and go to step two: look deeper. More than likely
what's at the root of your dissatisfaction is your own doubts,
fears, and insecurities. You see, too often we become victims in
our own life. We blame McDonald's for having French fries that
make us fat, and blame bosses who give us substandard raises.
When in fact, we control whether the French fries gets purchased
and put in our mouth, or we do the quality of work that meets
the performance standards for a higher raise. It's a choice. And
choices bring accountability. It's easier to believe you're a
victim of circumstances than a driver of your own future. But,
this easier choice comes at a price: dissatisfaction.
The harder choice comes with a price too: personal
accountability. That means when you're running an obstacle
course and discover you're the obstacle, you correct your
thinking, enhance your skills, and persist through your fears.
It means, if you don't get the raise, the promotion, or the more
interesting work, you look in the mirror first.
Sure, in the end, you may determine you need to change jobs or
environments. Just be sure it's the job you're dissatisfied
with, or you may find the same irritating co-workers and unfair
bosses (with different names, of course) waiting for you in the
new job. People who are winning at working don't see themselves
as victims. They know the choices they make have consequences
and payoffs. And while fears, self-doubts and insecurities may
stall their progress, challenge their courage, and test their
persistence, it doesn't stop them.
It's not easy to move through your fears, build your self-esteem
or change your negative self-talk. But few things in life worth
having are easy. People who are winning at working do the hard
self-work. They're unwilling to let their fears, doubts and
insecurities orchestrate the outcome of their lives, at work or
at home. To them, the biggest dissatisfaction would be wondering
about the person they could have been. Want to be winning at
working? No one is stopping you, but you.
(c) 2005 Nan S. Russell. All rights reserved.