Here's What You Must Know and Do to Make Yourself Happy at Work
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It’s time we stopped putting up with unhappy workplaces and bad bosses. Unhappiness at work is not a minor annoyance. It makes us tired, stressed and negative. Worst case, it makes us sick or kills us. Being happy at work makes you more energetic, productive, motivated, creative and successful. That is what we need more of. That is how we will work from now on. With happiness. BECAUSE THE FUTURE BELONGS TO THE HAPPY! HERE’S WHAT YOU MUST KNOW AND DO TO MAKE YOURSELF HAPPY AT WORK. 1 9 14 18 I CHOOSE TO BE HAPPY AT WORK. I MAY END UP SPENDING MOST OF MY I RECOGNIZE THAT HAPPINESS AT WORK IS THE BEST WAY TO MAKE MYSELF HAPPY AT I refuse to work at any job that does not WAKING HOURS AT WORK DIFFERENT FOR EVERYONE. WORK IS BY MAKING OTHERS HAPPY AT WORK. make me happy. It’s that simple. I want to I WANT TO MAKE THOSE HOURS COUNT. One person’s dream job is another’s living It makes no sense to only try and make myself wake up in the morning and look forward to I may be spending more time at work than I hell. The things that make me happy at happy. Because happiness is contagious, I work. I want to speak proudly to others of will on my family, my friends and my hobbies work may be a terrible experience for many would quickly lose my happiness if I were the work I do and the people I work with. I combined. I want those hours to be fun and other people. the only happy one. will look forward equally to Monday morning pleasant. And I want them to contribute to and Friday afternoon. Making that choice something meaningful. won’t magically make me happy—but it is where I must start. 19 I WILL TAKE TIME TO DO THIS. Making myself and others happy at work 2 THE takes time. This is time well spent. because being happy makes me more productive. I I CAN BE HAPPY AT WORK. (happily) take that time. Actually, anyone can. Provided they choose to be. 20 I WILL FIX MY JOB OR QUIT. 3 If there’s no way I can become happy in my MY HAPPINESS AT WORK IS current job, I’ll quit. Yes, this is scary. But MY RESPONSIBILITY. what about going to work every day feeling While my boss, my co-workers, my employees demotivated, cynical, stressed and helpless? and my workplace all affect my happiness Is that really any less scary? at work, the ultimate responsibility for it is mine and mine alone. 21 HAPPY HAPPINESS AT WORK AIN’T ROCKET SCIENCE. 4 The things that are necessary to make me KNOWING WHAT MAKES ME HAPPY OR UNHAPPY happy at work are really simple and can AT WORK IS MY RESPONSIBILITY. easily be brought into almost any workplace. Knowing what makes me happy at work is Recognition. A positive attitude. Learning the first step to getting it. And if I don’t and growing. Sharing decisions. Openness. know—who will? 22 5 AT WORK I GIVE FIRST. LETTING OTHERS KNOW WHAT MAKES If I feel that others never appreciate me, ME HAPPY OR UNHAPPY AT WORK IS I will start by appreciating them. If others MY RESPONSIBILITY. never listen, I will listen to them. I will set a good example, and give first. It’s not up to my boss, my co-workers, my employees or my workplace to experiment to read my mind and find out what it takes to make me happy at work. It’s up to me to 23 tell them. MANIFESTO I RECOGNIZE THAT A HIGHER SALARY WILL NOT 10 15 MAKE ME HAPPY AT WORK. IT’S OK TO HAVE A BAD DAY AT WORK. HAPPINESS AT WORK IS SOMETHING I CREATE There’s nothing wrong with getting paid a 6 I can’t be happy at work all day, every day. NOW. lot of money. I just don’t expect it to make me happy at work. SOMETHING WILL HAPPEN WHEN It’s always OK to have a bad day at work. A Not next month, next quarter or next year. I DO SOMETHING. bad week, month or year is not OK. I’m happy now...or never. As long as I sit on my butt and wait for my boss, my co-workers, my employees or my 24 workplace to do something to make me I RECOGNIZE THAT POWER, STATUS SYMBOLS, happy, nothing will happen. 11 16 I DO MY BEST WORK WHEN I’M HAPPY. I RECOGNIZE THAT HAPPINESS AT WORK DOESN’T A CORNER OFFICE OR EVEN ACCESS TO THE When I’m happy I’m engaged, motivated, COME FROM THE ABSENCE OF BAD THINGS IN CORPORATE JET WON’T MAKE ME HAPPY AT committed, more creative, less risk-averse, THE WORKPLACE. WORK. more service-minded and more productive. 7 All workplaces can have unpleasant people, It feels good at first, sure, but the thrill I KNOW THAT MY HAPPINESS AT WORK too much work, demanding customers, quickly fades and it can never make up for AFFECTS MY HAPPINESS stress, red tape and other idiosyncracies and a bad job. OUTSIDE OF WORK. 12 annoyances. Though we strive to minimize A bad day at work is hard to shake when I THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS these, I won’t wait to be happy at work get home. But a great day at work gives me TOO MUCH HAPPINESS. until all of these have been eliminated. If I 25 energy for a great afternoon and evening No matter how happy I am, a little more did wait, I would never be happy. HAPPINESS AT WORK COMES FROM THE THINGS at home. A great work week is the best never hurts. YOU AND I DO HERE AND NOW. springboard for a great weekend. I will get others involved and I will start 17 now. 13 HAPPINESS AT WORK IS INFECTIOUS— I WILL BE 8 I RECOGNIZE THAT HAPPINESS AT WORK ALSO A CARRIER. I KNOW THAT HAPPINESS AT WORK AFFECTS MY COMES FROM THE TIME I DON’T SPEND AT WORK. Happy people make others happy. That’s HEALTH. Holidays, weekends, days and other time how I want to affect others. Unhappiness Being unhappy or stressed at work can make away from work give me time to reflect and at work is also contagious—but it’s no fun to sick, depressed and even kill me. Conversely, relax. It gives me new input and ideas. A pass on that particular virus. being happy at work makes me healthier life spent almost exclusively at work is LESS and stronger mentally and physically. likely to make me happy. The Happy at Work Manifesto is published by Woohoo inc. Visit us at www.woohooinc.com..