Recently, a close friend of mine was whining, for the 100th time, about how they hate their job. If you’re like me, you hate whiners. After all, nobody likes a Debbie Downer, but as all good friends do, we listen and offer what career advice we can.
I listened as he went into detail about how his coworker works four hours a day and takes numerous personal calls each day, or how the company is run like Big Brother often creating an atmosphere of fear and mistrust. Yes, these are legit concerns, but I’ve also had my share of crappy jobs. I wanted to offer my own career advice but hesitated to.
After all, it’s all too easy to fall into the trap of fruitless blaming when our job isn’t ideal, but really, the biggest enemy we face is ourselves. Whether it’s in a dead-end job or looking for a job or any crappy situation, at some point, you got to start being “real” with yourself.
9 Questions to Gauge Your Happiness at the Workplace
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1. Do I know what is expected of me at work? |
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2. Do I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right? |
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3. Does my supervisor, or someone at work, seem to care about me as a person? |
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4. Is there someone at work who encourages my development? |
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5. At work, do my opinions seem to count? |
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6. Does the mission/purpose of my company make me feel like my work is important? |
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7. Are my co-workers committed to doing quality work? |
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8. In the last six months, have I talked with someone about my progress? |
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9. This last year, have I had opportunities at work to learn and grow? |
Questions provided by HuffingtonPost
There’s thousands of questions to ask yourself, but until you turn the perspective inwards, you’re just wasting time. And time isn’t a luxury for anybody, except for vampires. Vampires comment below.
Some proof is in our history. Ask any older grandparent or great grandparent. They’ll likely talk about how they or their parents came to the country and built great lives for themselves and their families. But they didn’t have the luxury of iPads, smart phones, and social media. Many of them were met with barriers based on ethnicity, race, or economic status. However, instead of complaining, they had to look for something in their control…themselves.
Make a resolution to ask yourself more questions on how to find happiness and become less whiney. Share your thoughts. What tips have you learned to get out of the many funks of life?
This post was written by Mark Baron. Mark is a passionate media and marketing professional focused on making a genuine and valuable connection with his audience. His biggest passions are in building relationships, creating art, entrepreneurship, new technology, and storytelling. He’s lived in Philadelphia for almost five years building his career and enjoying all the opportunities Philly has to offer. Connect with Mark on LinkedIn to learn more!
