Made for Mondays

Of the country’s approximately 100 million full-time employees, Gallup reports 51% are not engaged at work according to a recent article by Money Watch (March 31, 2017). In other words, they feel no connection with their jobs. Another 16% are actively disengaged, meaning they gripe to their co-workers and drag office morale down. Therefore, they tend to do the bare minimum. Now, more than ever, people are experiencing drudgery in their work instead of finding joy with their job. No wonder Monday is better known as “Moan-day.” If you find yourself singing the classic country song, “Take This Job and Shove It,” as you drive to work, I have good news for you. You can turn your Mondays into a mission.

Maybe you’re in a situation where you don’t enjoy the kind of work you’re doing. Maybe you don’t enjoy the environment you work in or the people you work with. Like many, you feel overworked, underpaid and underappreciated. It’s easy to get down and discouraged. Instead of moaning and groaning about your situation and circumstances, keep in mind that there are people who would actually consider your job as a step up compared to what they’re currently doing. Whether you agree with that statement or not, it really does come down to the attitude and perspective we CHOOSE to have toward our work.

What if you chose to approach your Mondays differently? What if Monday could be meaningful, Tuesday could be terrific, Wednesday could be wonderful? What if you could thrive on Thursday, and Friday could be fantastic? Sound like a bunch of unrealistic, hyped-up positive thinking? I will admit, that last line of Monday through Friday stuff was a bit cheesy. However, I believe it is possible to find more purpose in your work than just seeing it as a paycheck. How?

1: Be Thankful for the Job You Do Have.

Remember why you took the job in the first place. Perhaps you find yourself doing something different than what you signed up for. Maybe you feel limited in your role. Perhaps you have more to offer than what your current role allows or your company or boss recognizes. Maybe you don’t see any value in what you’re doing. If we focus on the negative, it will rob us of our joy. It’s easy to take for granted the opportunity that we do have to keep learning, growing and providing for yourself or your family.

2: Be Faithful in Your Now.

You may not be where you want to be or where you will be in the future. However, you can choose to bloom where you’re planted. Use your now to get you to your next. Keep giving your best. Approach your Mondays with new meaning and motivation. Be the attitude you want to be around. Go the extra mile. Make the people you work with feel appreciated. Look for the opportunities in the midst of the obstacles or limitations. The late Zig Ziglar once said, “Opportunity does not lie in the job; it lies in the individual who looks at the possibilities instead of the problems.” Be the best you that you can be!

3: Remember Your Excellence Will Increase Your Influence.

Excellence is the gap between average and exceptional. The word “excel” literally means to go beyond average. The quality of your work, character, trustworthiness, consistency, positive attitude and willingness to go the extra mile will get you noticed more than you could possibly imagine. Many people would never see themselves stealing from their company. However, it’s easy to rob the company from unproductive time by checking Facebook or scrolling through Instagram when no one is looking or spending unproductive time shooting the breeze with co-workers on company time. Commit yourself to being a person of excellence because your excellence will increase your influence with those you work for and work with.

When you change your perspective on why you work and how you work, it changes the way you work. You can turn your mundane into a mission. Perhaps your mission is to brighten someone else’s day, lend a helping hand to someone who feels overwhelmed, or give a word of encouragement and appreciation to someone who feels under appreciated. To quote the great Zig Ziglar again, “You can have everything in life you want if you will just help other people get what they want.”