A Ford Mustang Ride

Tips for a productive commute

8.1 percent of U.S. workers have 60 minute or longer commutes to work according to the U.S. Census Bureau. For some of us, commuting to work is an hour long venture. Even in a Ford Mustang, the repetitive trip could get old. It is easy to develop negative feelings about commuting to work. It can feel like an invasion on our personal time and an energy sapper. By the time we arrive at our job, we feel like we’re already in to our work day, which can lower performance. Then again, it’s all in how we choose to frame it. According to Shakespeare, “There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so.”  At least we don’t use a bathroom stall to get to work like the wizards that work at the Ministry of Magic in Harry Potter.

The reality is that if we set goals for our commuting to work time, just like other parts of our lives, it can be tremendously beneficial. If you’ve been struggling to stay awake during your commute or feeling like it is a waste of your time, think again. We’ve got some great tips to help you turn your commute time into a valued part of your day.

Tips for a Useful Commute:

1.      Mental Preparation-
The importance of positive thinking is often underestimated. Thinking about success and finding self-motivation are important aspects of productive living. Remember the law of attraction? Use your commute time to think good thoughts. You could even take that one step further and listen to an inspirational story, an inspirational quote, positive and inspirational psychology about goal setting, etc.  Research shows that if you start your day this way, you will lead your thoughts in to a more successful and enjoyable day. “The brain regions involved in "intention" are very connected to those regions involved in action. As a result, firing up those brain regions involved in intention will start to fire up your action centers” according to psychiatrist Srinivasan Pillay.

2.      Presentation Practice-
Using your commute to prepare yourself for work appearance sounds silly, but is quite effective. Sit up straight in your car to help your posture. Smile because not only will it benefit you to walk into work smiling, but it is proven to boost your mood.

3.      Energy Building-
You know that music you love to listen to when working out or cleaning house? Play that music during your commute to help boost your energy. Listening to the right music and singing along even, before work can really put your brain in a good state because “activations occur in the premotor and parietal cortex of the brain: regions that prepare the body for movement and attention” says Pillay.

4.      Winding Down-
On the opposite end of the spectrum, utilize “low key” tunes on the way home to help you unwind. It is important to let your mind calm down from exhaustion after work.

5.      Speech Training-
Remember all those silly people you’ve witnessed singing along to music in their car? Be one of them. Sing along to music in the car. This can help you practice annunciation as well as clear your throat.

6.      Think Business-

When we get busy in our lives, it becomes difficult to soak in inspiration and we get stuck in the comfort zone, which later translates to boredom and dissatisfaction. The easiest way to utilize your commute is to be observant. Take time to notice the word around you. Let nature inspire your artistic and innovative side. Acknowledge business advertising, and messages around you in general. Marketing is something we are bombarded with, but seldom learn from.  The messages could actually serve as trends and knowledge to draw on within your role at work. Further more tune in to news, technology and environmental changes which impact your life.

Effective performance can easily be heightened through a well-utilized commute; it’s just a matter of perspective. In fact, some people prefer to have a commute. After all, the majority of people are always wishing for more time to think, and a commute solves that need. If you're looking for a good new year resolution in 2014, then utilizing these ideas may be the resolution for you.

Schuester Job Meaning

“Don't lose track of who you are just because it might be easier to be somebody else” is quote from Will Schuester, the high school choir teacher on the hit show Glee. He’s right that it’s important not to lose track of who you are, but it’s not always just because it’s easier to be somebody else. Many times, it’s because amidst the barrage of every day fast paced life, people don’t have time to find themselves and find meaning.

Without a sense of meaning, one lacks a sense of fulfillment. Unfortunately this is something that haunts many workers today. In fact, according to the Gallup report called State of the American Workplace, 70% of employees are not engaged at their jobs. This means only 30% of the United States workforce feels passionate about their work and committed to their employers. Many times, these types of statistics are the result of people not understanding what gives work meaning for them in the first place. There are many ways in which one may find meaning in their work, but below are some examples.

Common Ways People Find Meaning at Work:

1.       Meaning in money
We all know it’s true that for some people, money has meaning

2.       Meaning from simply having a job
These people are fulfilled because the job allows them to provide for their families, find work life balance and pursue non-work activities

3.       Meaning in job advancement
Often times, people find that being recognized for their talents, excelling at their job and becoming the best version of themselves provides meaning

4.       Meaning in ideology
This is when someone finds meaning in ideologies or belief systems on which their job is built

5.       Meaning in the bigger picture
For many individuals, job meaning isn’t found in their day to day tasks, but in know the ultimate outcomes of their organization as a whole and how the serve others

6.       Meaning in connection
It isn’t rare that a person may find meaning in the social aspects of their job, and thrive off developing connections and relationships with co-workers and customers

So what does all this mean?

There isn’t one magic recipe that everyone can use to find mean at their job. It involves a process of self-evaluation, determining one’s own values, and making job decisions accordingly. In the article More Than Job Satisfaction, published by Monitor On Psychology, the author mentions that even though eight in ten Zookeepers has a college degree, many of them waited years for the position and it is their dream job. For some people, this may be surprising, since Zookeepers average annual income is less than $25,000, their job often involves scooping waste and the profession isn’t necessarily held in high regard. Nonetheless, Zookeepers find meaning in a sense of duty and community within their profession.

Circling back to William Scheuster from Glee, we see another example of low income, low work life balance jobs, in which people find value and meaning. As a performer, Will dreamed of performing on Broadway as a career, but the more time he spent in charge of the high school glee club, he realized he wouldn’t want to be doing anything else. He began to understand that his values in music and helping others grow fulfill him. In other words, his personal values translate to his work values.

Once someone understands their values, there are numerous possibilities for applying that knowledge to their career.

Different Ways to Find Meaning at Work:

1.       Getting training to improve skills

2.       Joining professional groups to gain industry knowledge

3.       Looking for learning opportunities

4.       Finding an organization with a strong mentorship program

5.       Helping start a mentorship program

6.       Choosing a profession based on priorities

7.       Looking at the big picture of how your job contributes to society

8.       Considering the small picture of how daily interactions contribute

9.       Finding a job with high work life balance

10.   Requesting more work life balance in current role

11.   Picking a job based on company mission

12.   Infusing mission into a company through culture

13.   During each task, remember how it contributes to the end result

14.   Pursuing business ownership and autonomy

15.   Finding a big company with more potential relationship building opportunities

16.   Working in public service

17.   Choosing a financially gratifying job, but volunteering on the side

The list could clearly go on, but these are different kinds of suggestions relative to different values. Usually, finding career meaning involves a balancing act when it comes to values and the tips above. Figuring out personal values and determining how to apply that to work life can be a mucky situation, which is why there are professionals in this arena who provide career planning services. Whatever method one utilizes to find meaning in a career, the effort will not be wasted. As it was said by Todd May writing for the New York Times “A meaningful life must, in some sense, feel worthwhile.” 

Talk like a Pirate at Work

Normally I wouldn’t advise anyone to talk like a pirate at work, and I still don’t if it involves grunting and throwing things. However, there is one particular pirate I don’t lead to the plank, and not just because yesterday was Talk like a Pirate Day.

Though at times he may be fowl-mouthed and even threatening, Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean said one worthwhile quote. Jack explained “The problem is not the problem. The problem is your attitude about the problem.”

This is a good reminder I find valuable to recite day to day at work and at home. Life is a challenge and it can be easy to feel that obstacles are waiting at every turn, but realistically it’s all about how one chooses to view a situation. Research shows that on average, 80% of our daily thoughts are negative. Although decreasing that percentage takes active effort, not doing it surmounts to very little. In fact, gaining and sustaining a positive attitude is a key aspect of performance and happiness.

How to Keep a Positive Attitude:

1.      Refuse to give in to negativity.  Part of character building is consistency in warding off negative energy in your environment and not allowing the “wet blankets” to suck the energy out of you, a topic I cover in length at one of my workshops.

2.      With each exhaled breath, release your cares and worries leaving only positive thoughts.

3.      It seems silly to sit around and force a smile across your face when you don’t feel very happy, but smiling actually does improve your mood.

4.      Exercise regularly, it releases endorphins and makes it easier to think happy thoughts.

5.      Clear your mind through meditation to make room for a positive attitude. 

6.      Encourage and empower others .  One of the pillars of leadership, empathy, lifts your own spirits as well.

7.      Many articles such as The Benefits of Volunteering by Kent State explain that individuals who volunteer in their community and help others are shown to be happier people. Whether called organization citizenship behavior or altruism, helping others is a mood enhancer.

8.      Remember the hardest times in your life, and your career and remind yourself about how you created happiness again. Reframe to persevere.

9.      The most important conversations that affect your life are the ones you have with yourself: self-motivate.

10.  Don’t just listen to positive people and uplifting music, but also absorb what you hear. Listening to positive words is the first step, even if you have trouble accepting their message. The key is to make an effort to let the good thoughts soak in, even if it is just a little at the time.

Muscle for Value, like Ozil

Muscle for the Money…

You’ve heard it a million times, but it remains true: exercise is vital to happy living. As Arnold Schwarzenegger has said “Training gives us an outlet for suppressed energies created by stress and thus tones the spirit just as exercise conditions the body.”  But what you may not have heard about in the past is the impact of active living on your wallet. Recent studies explore the depth in which exercise positively (or negatively) influences your finances. Now, you don’t need to have muscles the size of cantaloupes, but are you interested to see how healthy exercise habits can build you up financially?

Income

One recent study aimed to explore the direct effects of physical activity on income. The results showed that regular exercise positively influenced long-term (15 year) earning potential. Physically active participants received incomes 14-17% higher than those who were less active (Psychology Today).

Sleep
Lack of exercise costs in the form of rest. How to Fall Asleep, published by Discovery Fit and Health explains that exercise improves sleep, but in particular, cardiovascular activity in the late afternoon was highly recommended. Activity heightens your metabolism, allowing your temperature to fall just before bed, which is a trigger for sleeping. And now for the ROI, exercising saves you money on items like coffee and reversely sleeping pills. As for you wake hours, are you in needing a boost in performance effectiveness?  Exercising which we talked about leads to, getting better sleep , leads to improved job performance, correlating to higher earning potential.

Healthcare
Not only do those who exercise more earn more, but health care costs are typically lower. Many organizations are now introducing wellness programs to help employees stay healthy. Don’t disregard the offer.  Although we can’t speak for all other organizations, the Center For Work Life program gets employees not only to become aware of their power over their health and differentiating health factors, it also gets them engaged to feel the wins and make marked progress each and everyday. Take that for a big chunk back in your wallet.

Medical Emergencies
Investing in a fit lifestyle reduces your chances of heart attacks, strokes, and other potentially life altering medical emergencies. CNBC’s Health Care Reporter, Dan Mangan, recently reported on a study from Nerd Wallet Health which revealed that medical bills are the leading cause of bankruptcies in the country. In truth, active individuals are less likely to engage in unhealthy habits such as smoking, unbalanced diets buffering them against illnesses such as heart disease, or even more devastating setbacks like depression.  

A gym membership or joining a fitness class may cost you now, but exercise can save expenses in the long run. From emotional wellness, improved productivity, and lower stress levels exercise gives you a bang for your buck. Make your impact like Ozil, who recently signed the third most expensive football player contact in British history. Health equates to higher value.

For more Tips for Healthy Professionals here are more articles:

Where Would You Be Without Your Body?
25 Stress Management Tips

Win the Productivity Fight, Burn Bright

Is your life a Tootsie Pop?

Spirit magazine staff members took it upon themselves to answer the age old question “how many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop?” But in searching for the answer to that question, their experiment revealed  some common themes surrounding struggles of professionals. Tackling this little experiment, the Spirit staff was likely aware there would not be exact results in determining the answer to the Tootsie Pop question. It was more so a “good fun” project. 

 In comparison, these findings are a mirror to a common problem experienced by professionals. How often does an executive find themselves watching others reach goals more quickly? Uncertainty is something most people don’t wear well; they want to know they can expect a positive reward. At some point in life, almost everyone has wished they could walk in someone else’s shoes. It can be hard at all stages of a career to see a coworker get the promotion. From struggling to grasp leadership skills as quickly as the rest of the team, to wishing for recognition others receive, envy or worst jealousy, can be a huge obstacle to success.  The sooner one understands their own personality, values and goals, the sooner one can depart from trying to reach the center of the Tootsie Pop quickly and just enjoy the pop’s taste to the fullest. 

Speaking of the Tootsie Pop taste, who thought of the Tootsie Pop question in the first place? Who cares how many licks it takes to get to the Tootsie Pop center? During their effort to participate in the experiment, the Spirit staff probably didn’t enjoy the Tootsie Pop nearly as much as one should enjoy a Tootsie Pop. Why the lack of enjoyment? They were focused on an end result and not the journey. Similarly, it becomes far too easy as a professional to obsess over the next step or end result. While goal setting is a vital part of life, it can become a problem when one forgets the journey. 

So hold on to goals, but enjoy the process. You will get to the center of the Tootsie Pop in your unique amount of time and you will enjoy the taste along the way.