By Kristen Carter
Contributor, Career Services
Have you ever wished for a permanent three-day weekend, justifying that an extra day off of work would cause you to be more productive and enjoy your job more throughout the week? If we are really honest with ourselves, I’m not sure if this would solve our case of the Mondays. So, is it possible to ever avoid that dreaded Monday feeling?
Dan Miller, author of No More Mondays: Fire Yourself and Other Revolutionary Ways to Discover Your True Calling at Work, believes so. He states, “Given the amount of time we spend working, failure to find meaning, significant work is not just a minor misstep in an otherwise fulfilling life; it is a deeper kind of failure that can make each day feel like living death.”
Fulfillment is the key, and this looks different for everyone. Miller encourages his readers to employ the following techniques to bring enthusiasm to either our current or future jobs:
- Find meaning in your work. While there will always be tasks in every job that you do not enjoy, it is never a good thing when you despise your overall daily work. Take inventory of your current and past roles. What did you most or least enjoy? What makes you the most excited? Consider your responses and decide what needs to change. Is a current career move necessary or is it time to launch that personal business you have been dreaming about?
- Don’t duplicate the successes of others. It is important to be aware of and stay true to your unique skills and talents. Miller mentions, “It’s about knowing yourself so completely that you can identify a work fit that you will find enjoyable, rewarding, and profitable.” We can all probably account for a time in our lives when things did not turn out positively while we were striving to be someone or something we were not. Be your authentic self to locate the keys to your own success.
- Reframe your thinking. The workplace is evolving so it is necessary to change your thinking. Flexible schedules and telecommuting are becoming more common, while others are opting to be their own boss by pursuing entrepreneurial ventures. These new and exciting opportunities are transforming what we have known of the traditional 9-to-5 work week. Miller describes this new work model as one that allows flexibility, embraces personal and family values, and connects you to a greater sense of purpose.
While I am not certain if the phrase “Thank God it’s Monday” will ever be officially coined, meaningful work is within reach. Remember what Miller asserts, “Anyone can do a job, but a calling is lived out by a person who has tapped into wisdom that goes beyond education and intelligence.”
[Related articles: What Does ‘Career Success’ Really Mean?]
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