365 Ways to Live Happy (12 page)

You want a promotion but you believe that management sees you as just another worker bee. It's up to you to convince your superiors otherwise. Make a list of at least five ways the company benefits from your work efforts. For example, does your sense of optimism permeate the workplace, infusing everyone with enthusiasm? Doesn't that positively impact company morale? Are you a great organizer who practices time management techniques so that you tend to be more efficient and productive than others doing the same work? Do you come to brainstorming sessions brimming with new ideas? Are you great at assessing value, doing marketing analysis, or interpreting statistical data? Can others always count on you? Show higher-ups your value to the company and remember that the answer will always be no until you ask for what you want.

If you really want to understand and overcome an adversary's point of view, actively listen to what she is telling you. Repeat your understanding of what she said (for that tends to reinforce what you thought you heard), and, finally, summarize three points of her position. Only when you fully understand where she's coming from, will you be able to align with her and make your case against her position. Practice that strategy on friends and coworkers during friendly, yet lively, discussions of opposing points of view. Being able to quickly comprehend an opposing viewpoint and then to overcome the objections to your position can greatly benefit your business.

Think of three things you could do to make yourself happier on the job. Would listening to your favorite music on an MP3 player lift your spirits? Or, could taping some miniature pictures of your family members to the bottom of your computer screen inspire you to be happy? Would checking your e-mail at noon instead of when you first arrive keep your mood elevated throughout the morning? Find ways to be happy while at work and your creativity and productivity are likely to rise along with your mood.

After a long day at work, are you tense, tossing and turning while trying to go to sleep every night? Release stress before you go to sleep and you may find that you are able to fall asleep more quickly, have a better quality of sleep, and wake up more rested and refreshed. There are myriad ways to calm your mind and let go of the tension held in your body, including taking a warm bath, sipping a glass of wine or warm milk, listening to relaxation tapes or peaceful music, doing some deep breathing, or praying to release concerns to a higher power. Rather than living your life stressed out, make it a point to let go of the tension accumulated throughout the day so that you get deep, restorative sleep.

An important principle taught in most small business entrepreneur classes is the exit strategy. Exit strategies are vital to consider when things are not going the way you expected, whether you anticipate striking out on your own or just leaving your current track. Either way, shifting direction on your career track or deciding to move in a completely different direction necessarily takes some forethought and a plan, especially if you desire to make your move with dignity and grace. Both will be important for your mental and emotional well-being. You don't want your happiness (at leaving or making a lateral move) to hurt or inconvenience someone else if you can avoid it. That's where a well-conceived, well-executed plan can make a huge difference.

The old adage about not burning your bridges in case you have to cross them again one day applies to your career: it's not in your best interest to damage or sever professional relationships. You never know when you might meet those individuals again and have to conduct business together. If you are at least on good speaking terms and have shown respect, it will be a lot easier to establish a smooth working relationship. Stay optimistic and do your best to protect and safeguard all professional relationships. That way, you can feel happier and more assured that you are doing something vital to keeping your career or job on track.

If a new college graduate has just entered the work force after being hired by your company, offer to mentor him. If you are a supervisor or senior-level manager, mentoring a recent college graduate can benefit you both. You can gain an understanding about the business worldview held by him and his peers and also learn what motivates them. On the flip side, you can help him learn about your industry, trade regulations, business relationships, and perhaps help him to rise through the ranks more quickly. It's a win-win for everyone.

Keep up to date on advances, breakthroughs, and new information about your specific industry by subscribing to at least one trade journal. Trade journals announce industry trade shows, conventions, and often roundtable or networking meetings that you may want to attend in order to stay abreast of the latest developments in your field. In addition, you can gain insights into how to make your business even stronger and more competitive. An added bonus is that you may find people through recruitment ads, blurbs, or hard news stories who might become potential allies or recruits for your company.

Do you need a plan to get out of debt? When you know where you are going, you can control how you get there. Start by writing down exactly how much money you have coming in each month and the sources of your income streams. List all your bills, starting with those that carry late payment fees or debts with high interest rates. Follow up with another list of your monthly needs. Brainstorm low-cost ways to meet your financial obligations and needs, making your lunch instead of buying it, taking a thermos of coffee and forgoing the cup at the local coffee house, and carpooling instead of driving, for example. Write the due dates of all bills on your calendar. Before you begin writing out checks, first pay yourself a small fixed amount to put into your savings. Live frugally but feel empowered as you watch the debt begin to shrink and your savings begin to grow little by little.

If you are like many people, you hate paying bills. Yet, you must attend to that dreaded chore to maintain good credit. An excellent way to deal with unpleasant tasks is to tackle them as soon as possible. Procrastinating only invites your stress to increase. But relief comes as soon as the job is done. So gather those bills together, get your calculator, the checkbook, a pen, and set a timer. Hunker down for twenty minutes or until the job is done. Then reward yourself with a glass of wine, a piece of dark chocolate, or anything that makes you happy.

If you bank online, you may simply check your balances each day and take note of which bills have been paid or are queued up for payment. However, working with a checkbook helps you know at a glance what your balance is when you are not near a computer. Be diligent about recording any check you write when you are making purchases throughout the day. Some banks send with your monthly statement a how-to guide to balancing your checkbook, and it's worth taking a few moments to stay on top of your balances. When the monthly bank statement arrives and there aren't any scary surprises, you'll feel both relieved and happy.

Practitioners of the universal law of attraction say that what you think about most is what you attract into your life. Instead of worrying about money, think of yourself as a money magnet. Yoke your willpower and actions to your positive thinking. Believe that money from various sources (known and unknown) is flowing to you. Don't discount any of the myriad ways it might arrive including checks in the mail, found money, gifts, inheritances, rebates and coupons, refunds, dividends, and donations.

Do you dream of making a certain amount of money this year or next? Write it on a piece of paper and tape it to your computer monitor where you can easily see it. Let it remind you of your desire. Set a goal to bring in that amount. Develop a laser focus. If you don't believe it is possible to generate that income from your job, get a second job. Better still, dream up new ways to create income streams. Could you sell things on eBay like the woman who turned flea market and garage sale finds into products that she resold on eBay to the tune of $3,000 in extra monthly income? You can make it happen.

The next time you and your friends bemoan the economy and how difficult it is to stretch a budget, do something constructive. Propose that you all form an investment club. Learn about how to invest in stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and other types of markets to put your money to work earning more money. If you don't have money to work with initially, make imaginary investments until you do. Track each investment made within your group for six months or a year. Have fun while you learn about attracting money, working with your capital, and building your wealth.

Most credit card companies assess finance charges when you don't pay off your balance in full every month. If that practice is causing you to sink deeper in debt, start paying off those cards and stop charging on them, if possible. It will take a lot of willpower and perseverance to get credit card debt paid off, but you can do it. Make a list of all your cards, what you owe, and the interest rate on each. Then pick the one with the highest interest rate and pay down that card until you get it paid off. Reward yourself, but for goodness sake, don't charge it.

You're sticking to your budget and now you want to tackle a bigger plan to get out of debt. It takes about three weeks for a new habit to really stick, so allow at least a month for your brain and spending habits to catch up to your new way of dealing with household expenses. Don't let anything keep you from sticking to that new household budget, and resist the urge to buy new things. Remember, the best time for success is when you no longer can stand failure. Figure out a plan of action to take for those moments when temptation beckons and your willpower weakens. Reward yourself for not giving in. Have a small piece of chocolate, take a walk in a flower garden, or check out a book or video from the library to enjoy in a leisure moment. If you can resist temptation once, you can do again. How empowering is that!

How many times a week do you stop for that special large cup of latte? Try this little experiment: Each time during the week that you feel the impulse to have a $5.00 latte at the usual coffee house, put that amount aside. If you've been stopping every day, you are spending $5.00 per day, roughly $25.00 week, or $100 a month. Over a year, that's $5,200.00 that could be earning more money if you put it into an interest-bearing savings account.