Bringing Joy To Work
"In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun. You find the fun and - SNAP - the job's a game!" - Mary Poppins
Are you having fun working these day?
Whether you're crunching numbers in an office, on the road selling goods and services, keeping children alive and entertained, or looking for a job, are you bringing joy and energy to the process?
If you're not inspired by SOMEthing, your daily tasks are more likely to feel mundane and miserable.
I LOVE the minute-and-a-half video below because the story so clearly depicts what happens when a person is inspired. Take a look to see what transpires when the employee no longer sits at his desk typing out of duty, but instead works out of inspiration.
-whistling- from louis thomas on Vimeo.
Did you notice the focus on the employee's face? At the beginning he was listening to "the boss" and working as hard as possible, but he was clearly stressed and losing the productivity battle.
Then the bird showed up.
The short whistle inspired the man to do something more. He worked just as hard as he had at the start of the video, maybe harder. But the look on his face changed. He smiled and gritted his teeth in thought. He focused on getting his ideas out; he was not working to keep someone else happy.
Did you see how his work was suddenly a positive inspiration to people around him? His influence made a difference to others.
If you're like I am, the joy of work comes just as randomly as it does for this guy. It happens when I can feel my efforts landing and making a difference to the process.
No, I don't have birds landing on my window sill whistling a happy tune. But, I do have stray bits of inspiration in the form of a grateful email, a positive phone call, or a fortuitous conversation. When such things happen, IF I pause and pay attention to the encouragement, my attitude perks up and my productivity grows.
I may not be able to get into a pure Mary Poppins' state of mind and see my job as a "game," but I could do much worse than watching for elements of fun, whimsey, and joy in everything I do.
What are the elements of your work that bring joy?