You can be happy at work. Sounds ridiculous? Probably yes, for most of you. There is this school of thought which says that work is not supposed to be enjoyable -- that is why you get paid to do it. If not, then you can just get a hobby. But I beg to disagree because I really believe that one can be happy while employed.
Today marks my seventh year in the company I work for and I am happy and grateful. So to pay it forward, I would like to share how you could be happy at work:
1. First, cultivate the attitude of gratitude. There are millions of people who want a job. As of February this year, that is 12.1 million Filipinos, to be exact. While we all want to be on vacations forever, (trust me, all I want is to be at the beach front, sipping a mojito and reading a darn book), we do not have a choice, at least for us, the working middle class, who need to pay the bills. So be grateful for that you have a job. As what Max Ehrmann said in the Desiderata, "Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time".
2. Know what you want. Not everything will be perfect. Just like any other aspect in your life. You can be frustrated but if you do not know what you want five years into the future, you will not be able to make the right step today. This is not only looking into what you want to become professionally (a CEO or what-not) but also basing it on your personal life. Knowing what you want will help you align your values to that of the company's and when they are in sync, there is a big probability that you will be happy at work.
I will give you an example. When I was younger, I wanted to be a great marketing manager. I reached that pinnacle in my life. I was able to push all the product categories I handled to the number one spot. There were times that I dreamt of my products (in their life-size forms) gobbling me, haunting me when their market shares slipped to number two position. So I worked hard (of course, with the help of my team). And that was the price. I brought home work, I breathed work, I dreamt of work. I went on overtime and it did not matter, all because I knew what I want and I wanted to achieve it.
3. Be open to change. Changes happen in an organization. They always say things happen for a reason and I would like to believe that this is true. If there is one thing I learned in my nine years in the corporate world, it is never to resist at the onset of change. Give it a try once. If you do not like it, at least you can look at someone in the eye and proclaim that you gave it a chance but it just did not work out as it should be.
Changes bring about discovery. If I wasn't transferred to my current post, I would have not discovered that joys of corporate social responsibility. I think that this role has opened my eyes to the world of goodness; that people help each other for a common advocacy. And this is what I love the most about what I do. It makes me appreciate the good in everyone and it continue to assure me that every day, there is a hero willing to change the world in his own little, priceless way.
4. Persevere. Success does not happen overnight. You call it climbing the corporate ladder because you have to take a step at a time. Hard work and patience are key elements to success.
5. But, do not settle. Work is so much like a relationship. It is not a one-way street. You have to give each other what you both deserve. At some point, compromises will be made but it should be a symbiotic relationship where both parties benefit from each other.
If you are unhappy, I think that it is best to part ways rather than harbor a growing ill feeling and become bad eggs. Sometimes, there are just things that are not for us and we should accept that things are just not meant to work out. As my new favorite song goes, Let it Go. :-)
How about you, loves? Have you found a compatible partner company yet? :)
xx,
Corporate Junkie
