You can’t wait to get that dream job one day, having the ability to believe in yourself and know that you will get it one day is a mindset that not many people have. Although, the journey to that dream job can be very stressful and tiring, especially when you’ve been on that journey for a long time.
Nothing is easy in this life and knowing that has helped you to keep pushing. You may be working a nine to five right now but that doesn’t mean you will be forever. This job is just taking its course in your life right now. You don’t necessarily want to go through this stage in your life but it’s necessary.
Having a job that you’re not too fond of can teach you many things about the world of business and many life lessons as well. Think about all the things that you’ve learned from your job so far that have translated into your life outside of work.
One example of this can be dealing with customers, working in retail, you need to have patience and show respect for those customers if you want to be able to help them and have them return to the store for future purchases. If you plan on having your own business one day then you’d realize how important it is to have customer loyalty.
Even though your job right now may give you headaches and body pain, it’s only getting you prepared for the future. It may not be as obvious now but there will be days where you may feel tired at your dream job or there may be situations where you may have an unhappy customer.
Keeping these things in mind is already one step to seeing your nine to five as a place of enjoyment. Yes, your current job can be more enjoyable if your willing to make it be so. There are different techniques you can use to make time go faster at your job and techniques that will help you produce more smiles than before. Let’s look at some of these methods of making your job a happier place to be in your life.
Set Up a Mental To-Do List
When arriving at work, it’s important to remain calm and walk into your establishment in a positive mood. This makes things a whole lot easier for the rest of your shift and you will view the noisy place differently than you usually do.
After you clock in, take a glance around the store or office and see what needs to be done. This will give you an overall view of what you can be doing for the first part of your shift so that you’re not wandering around bored trying to figure out what to do.
Also, this makes it easy on your supervisors, so that you’re not constantly nagging them on what to do. This mental list that you’re making up should be structured from the hardest things to do to the easiest. Doing these more difficult tasks at first will cause your brain to take action more quickly.
This is getting into a workers mentality mode where you’re ready to take on more difficult assignments. It’s important to remember that things to do come up and customers will ask for help. Don’t get upset when this happens, look at it as another task to do for your long shift ahead of you. Helping customers the best way you can is your good deeds for the day.
Even though it is in your job description to do so and you’re getting paid for it, give that customer your full attention and try to help them beyond the extent that they needed help. If a customer asks you where a certain product is located in the store, instead of pointing them to where the area where the product is located, walk them over to the product if it’s not too far and on your way over there asks them how they’re day is going and what made them so interested in the product.
What you’re doing here is you’re making your job less about yourself and more about the customer, which gives you an instant feeling of happiness. Try to do this at least three times during your shift and I guarantee you will clock out of work feeling accomplished and respected.
Use the “Flow State” to Your Advantage
The optimal experience better is known as the “flow state” is a term used to describe the state of mind that you’re in when you’re fully engulfed in an activity. This is common among many professional athletes where they get into the “zone.” You will see this, especially in televised sports, for example when NBA player Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors starts hitting multiple three-pointers in-game to give his team the lead.
Using this flow state at work is very suitable for you because it simply makes the time go by faster and your mind isn’t focused on the amount of time left you to have to clock out. Choose a task that needs to be done in the store and set smaller goals within the project itself to make it feel like it’s almost like a game.
I do this during every shift that I'm working, I will go into the back of the store and start organizing all the way up until I get into the front of the store. My mini goals for these projects are to get each section done and looking neat no matter how long it takes me.
From the outside looking in, it may seem like a lot of work but when I’m fully engaged in folding towels continuously, I’m not even thinking about anything else. Give something at work your full focus can be very difficult at first but can be done when practiced. Start doing this at your job and see how much time goes by, before you know you will be clocking out with the rest of your day ahead of you. Enjoy the grind, these are moments that you will remember when you do get your dream job.
The journey to your goals is usually what makes accomplishing your goals so much sweeter and so much more rdeserving. Whenever feeling tired or mentally lost, take a deep breath and smile a little bit to remind yourself that this is just one part of your life and not the entirety of it.
How Can You Enjoy Your Time Inside and Outside of Work?
If you have co-workers that are friendly and easy to relate to then you’re in a place where you don’t have to worry too much about feeling lonely at work. Having co-workers like this helps you get through your shifts, again this is another way to make the time go by as well.
Not all of these conversations have to be productive but they can shed a little light on personal problems that you bother are going through. Even if you don’t have other employees to talk to, try to work with them and help each other with different tasks.
A co-worker of mine that really enjoys working with doesn’t speak very good English but we both enjoy each other's company when we’re carrying out boxes from the back of the store to the front and when we’re taking down a rug for customers. Working with your fellow employees can make you enjoy the company of others and not make work feel like an intimidating place to be at every day.
Let’s be honest, not every job that you work is going to have a nice staff like that but it starts with you. Say hello to your co-workers when arising to work, give them genuine compliments about something you find interesting about them, and most importantly be understanding to them when they’re going through a stressful shift.
Even if a coworker is upset with you, stay calm and listen to them, they may have anger from a rude customer or form something going in their personal lie so don’t take it personally when they come at you with anger. Other than co-workers, you can think about what you’re going to do when you get off of work.
Think about what show you’re going to watch when you get home or try to set up some plans with a friend when getting off. Lastly, don’t be afraid to be yourself at work, if you have a song stuck in your head, sing it out loud, not too loud to where you’re distracting everyone but enough so that you can enjoy yourself for that little moment.
Work is tough right now with the pandemic going on, having to wear a mask and be on your feet all day isn’t easy for anyone. But, there are multiple ways where you can start enjoying your shifts just a little bit more if you put in the effort. I’ll leave you with a quote from Arthur Ashe that says
“Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome.”
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