5 Ways To Have A Great Day At Work

5 Ways To Have A Great Day At Work

Who doesn’t want to have a great day at work? I suppose everyone wants to have a great day except for a grouch – those who feel happiest when they are grouchy.

So, what are some of the things I have done to get a great work day? Before I start, perhaps it’s best to explain that you need to have a long term view.

That view is – achieving more great days at work is possible if we learn some habits that will create that great day more frequently.

1. Finish Today’s Work Today

A great day at work today, started yesterday. And a great day at work tomorrow, started today. So, regardless of what you do, finish today’s work today.

And if your work is like mine, always unending, start by having timelines and daily goals you want to achieve everyday. These become the benchmark of your productivity.

2. Be Mindful

Learn to be conscious of your own feelings. Be aware why you feel a certain way about certain work issues and colleagues. When you feel certain feelings, tell yourself why you feel that way. For example, “I feel jealous because John received compliments.” Then tell yourself – what is a better way to feel? For example, “I should be happy for John. He worked really hard for it. I should congratulate him.”

Of course, it’s not easy. But if you do it constantly, soon you will catch yourself with negative thoughts. You will arrest these negative thoughts before they become words out of your mouth and action. You will be more self-aware. A more self-aware person can instantly change the way he thinks, speaks and act. A mindful person will slowly have a great day at work.

3. Appreciate Challenges

Challenges are all around us. Even the moment you get into your car and onto the roads, the challenge begins. Why is the car in front moving so slowly? Why is that red light so slow in changing? Challenges surround you daily. If you continue fighting it, there is no way you can have a great day at work.

The trick is to appreciate these challenges as a way to train yourself. Train yourself to accept challenges. That there is no way you can change this and it’s a matter of how you respond that will determine how you feel towards your day. When you start to appreciate challenges at work, you will start to have more great days at work.

4. Embrace Change

Just like challenges, change is all around you. Life is about change. Every second, your thoughts flicker. It changes from feeling good to feeling bad, to feeling angry and a gamut of other thoughts and feelings. Change produces uncertainties and because we like constants, uncertainties bring dissatisfaction.

One way to overcome this is to embrace change. Accept that change is a natural phenomenon and whether it’s a good change or a bad change, these are merely labels we give to a situation. Because things change constantly, something good may change into something bad very quickly. And vice versa. A great day at work starts when you can better embrace change.

5. Reflect Not Regret

Reflect constantly on your actions. Some people like to reflect at the end of a day, some like it at the end of the week. Whatever that suits you best, do it. But reflect. It allows you to be more self-aware and mindful of your actions. Reflect so you are able to make adjustments and be better the next time. When you constantly do this, more great days at work will have in closer frequency.

You need not do all of these tips concurrently. Start with one or two, but be consistent with it. See how your great day at work starts to increase.