Rule #1 - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Rule #1 - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog What would the world look like, if we all didnt do stuff we didnt want to do? Lets say youre a college student and you dont feel like going to classes today and you simply stay home or do something else. Or lets say you dont want to go to work today and instead stay home and play with your kids? What would that do to society in general? Common wisdom has it that nothing would get done, or at least only the stuff that everybody likes to do. Wed be knee-deep in garbage because nobody wants to be a garbage man, and wed all have to walk or drive ourselves cause nobody would want to drive the busses. In short, society would collapse according to common wisdom. Once again, common wisdom is dead wrong. If we all do more stuff we enjoy, well end up liking more things. Going back to the college student who doesnt want to go to classes today, lets say he forces himself and goes anyway. He might have a great time, but odds are that he doesnt. This probably also means that he feels even less like going the next day and the next. If hed given himself a day off, his desire to go would return faster than if he forces himself. Doing stuff you like to do increases your energy and makes you more open to new experiences. Pulling yourself together to force yourself to do something you hate saps your strength and makes you less willing to try new experiences. So if we all avoided doing stuff we dont want to, wed all want to do more different things. Of course, the enthusiasm you put into a job you really want to do, and the resulting quality of your work is usually much higher giving you even more energy. There are a few things to consider: First of all lots of people have a hard time knowing what they want to do. Theyve become used to doing things whether or not they like them that theyve lost the sense of what they enjoy. This sense probably returns with a little practice. Secondly, weve all been raised with the idea, that when faced with an unenjoyable task, the right and honorable thing to do is to clench your teeth, put your nose to the grindstone, pull yourself together and get it done. The idea that if its not enjoyable, dont do it, can cause some guilt. Obviously feeling guilty is not enjoyable either, which ruins the whole point. This probably takes some practice also. Furthermore, some things need to get done, and if I dont do them who will? This requires organizations to build up diversity to such a level that almost any task will find a person somewhere in the organization who will actually enjoy doing it. Or at least not totally loathe it. Remember, every time you force yourself to take on a task that you really hate, youre stealing that task away from another person who would enjoy it and who would consequently do a much better job of it. Remember, there are people who enjoy collecting garbage and driving busses. If you have any doubt that almost any job can be enjoyed by someone, read this article. Notice also, that Im not saying that people should do whatever they want. Im simply saying: Rule #1: Dont do stuff you dont like doing. Once in a while its good to challenge yourself, so as an addendum to the above rule, Id add: Rule #2: Once in a while, do something you dont know if youll like. If you dont like it, see rule #1 Just imagine the kind of world that would build! Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related Rule #1 - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog Im currently reading Built to Last by Jim Collins, which examines 15 really great companies and compares them to 15 good (but not legendary) companies to find the practices that separates great from good. At one point, the book mentions Nordstroms personnel handbook. Where other companies have inch-thick employee handbooks, Nordstroms is a 5 by 8 card that says something like Welcome to Nordstroms, were glad to have you with us. It the goes to say: Nordstrom Rules Rule #1: In all situations, use your good judgement. There will be no additional rules. I really, REALLY like that. Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related