Ep 141 Happiness In Your Job

Episode Notes:

Today I’m talking about happiness in your job.  People sometimes have this wrong – it’s not your job’s job to make you happy.  When you are happy where you are you can be happy anywhere.  Listen today to hear some ideas on what might help increase your happiness today. 

In this episode:

• Being happy where you are
• Setting boundaries
• Saying no
• Knowing your worth 
• James Clear – Atomic Habits
• Letting people be wrong about you

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Episode Transcript:

Hello hello hello –

Welcome back to the podcast friends.  

How are you today?

Hopefully you had a nice holiday weekend.  

We did 

Nothing too crazy but it was nice 

You know what this week is?

It is my 15th year anniversary with my company

15 years

Time flies for sure

And I thought it would be a great week to

Talk to you about happiness in your job

 And I’ll start with a story about happiness in job – but we all know – 

This podcast is often about work-life integration and happiness at work will bring happiness in life

Ive actually been thinking about this a lot lately 

And I recently had a conversation with one of my surgeons that I thought – ok – it will really be perfect timing… 

so 

Lets dive in 

Now if you’ve been following me here you know we’ve had some turnover on my team … lol 

Some 

let’s be clear – all 

but me lol 

And I started thinking – am I the crazy one? 

And I know there are people that think I might be … 

That’s an entirely different podcast 

I might be lol..

Or 

They might be wrong about me

Remember that piece of advice when you know people have things to say about you

Let them be wrong about you

It’s really none of your business what they think 

Don’t waste your energy 

It’s your job to like you 

It’s not your job 

To make yourself something you are not 

Thinking that’s what will have them like you 

I saw a great quote recently 

It said something like 

You keep doing all the things because you want everybody to like you

But You don’t even like everybody 

It’s true right?

Ok 

Back to happiness 

I think about 9 other coworkers have left my immediate team through the years

And I was joking with one of my doctors about how I might be the crazy one ..lol

 and he said – you know I sometimes think people think they are going to leave and be happy – but usually that’s not the case.  

When you are a happy person you can be happy anywhere 

I was like – ohhhhh you are talking my language! 

Yes! 

It’s what I always say 

It really is beneficial to you 

To love where you are now 

Before you leave 

And then you leave 

Just because you want to

Not because you are any sort of victim

Listen 

Its’ also not your jobs job

To make you happy

Don’t give it that much power

Now sure

We spend a lot of time at work 

In working hours

And so we want something that matters to us

We want a job that we want to do 

But think about this

If the job was what determined the happiness level

And one person was saying they were happy at the job

Then everyone should in theory be happy

If A plus b = c … lol..

But seriously 

We want to find work that lights us up

But it lights us up because of our desires 

It lights us up because of the way we are thinking about it 

AND

I want to encourage you to consider this 

Another story for you 

I was talking to someone who was considering leaving her job

And some of the reasons included 

She didn’t feel appreciated 

She thought she was being taken advantage of 

She thought she was working more than others 

I’m guessing you get the idea 

But here’s the truth 

If she were to leave with those reasons 

Guess what?

Most likely 

The next job will be the same thing

You know why?

Because a lot of times those reasons

Stem from us not setting boundaries 

Not say no 

Trying to do do do in order or prove something 

You may have heard me say this once or twice 

We take our brains with us

Its’ on us to say no

And understand 

Its acceptable to say no at times 

It’s on us to set boundaries 

It’s on us to know we are worthy just because we woke up today 

If you don’t learn those skills in the job you are in

And just leave to the next 

You will likely have very similar issues 

This is the stuff I love coaching people on 

I think too many great companies lose amazing workers 

Because they don’t have the tools 

That are most helpful for the mind management standpoint 

Thats the work 

And I want to end with 

a quote from an email I received from James Clear

I’ve talked about him here before as well – author of Atomic Habits

Another side note – If you are interested I have a podcast from awhile ago where I discussed that book – I think it was episode 30

So the email was a quote from Essays on Life from 

Thomas Mitchell, a farmer, on happiness: it read 

“One of the best secrets of a happy life is the art of extracting comfort and sweetness from every circumstance…

People are always looking for happiness at some future time and in some new thing, or some new set of circumstances, in possession of which they some day expect to find themselves. But the fact is, if happiness is not found now, where we are, and as we are, there is little chance of it ever being found. There is a great deal more happiness around us day by day than we have the sense or power to seek and find.

If we are to cultivate the art of living, we should cultivate the art of extracting sweetness and comfort out of everything, as the bee goes from flower to flower in search of honey.”

That’s it friend 

It’s us finding the happiness 

The more we see all the areas we are happy at work

The more you will find

Energy flows where focus goes 

One easy activity is to simply write down 3 successes you had at the end of each day

What was a win for you

It’s easy to find all the problems 

That’s what our brains doesn’t on default

But it’s an option 

When you look for the happiness 

You will find it 

I would love to hear what you love about your job

And of course

If you can’t find anything you love 

And you want to 

Maybe you are just so overwhelmed you don’t even know 

What you want 

I can help 

Connect with me on the socials 

Linked in 

IG FB

Michellebourque coaching 

Ok friend

That’s what I have for you today 

Let’s circle back next week

But for now 

Stay safe and 

Make it a great day 

Take care!