Regardless of how much you like your job, certain days are a bit tougher than others, aren’t they? Psychologist Williams James famously said, “Actions seems to follow feeling, but really actions and feeling go together; and by regulating the action, which is under the more direct control of the will, we can indirectly regulate the feeling, which is not. Thus the sovereign voluntary path to cheerfulness, if our cheerfulness be lost, is to sit up cheerfully and to act and speak as if cheerfulness were already there.”
…”sit up cheerfully…act and speak as if cheerfulness were already there.” What a great approach, isn’t it? Here are three steps I’ve learned that really help with the effective implementation of this idea:
Step 1 – Pause. Close your email, turn your phone face-down, find a quiet place. This will only take 5 minutes.
Step 2 – Write the following statement: Great Stuff that Happened this Week. Start handwriting a list of positive things that happened. Progress on a project you made, great feedback from a customer/client, a compliment from a co-worker, a compliment you gave to a co-worker. Can’t think of anything? Proceed to –
Step 3 – Send a note of honest appreciation to a colleague. Tell her how well she did, why you feel lucky to have her on your team, or why she’s a great leader of her team. After sending that note, add to your list of positive things that happened.
If you’re ever feel like you’re lacking enthusiasm about your job, follow these three steps and watch your attitude change.
Do you do anything like this exercise regularly? If not, why?