09 Jan Dig Deep
The new year is a great time to evaluate the past year and assess the future. Where are you currently and where do you want to be? Are you satisfied? Do you feel restless? This blog will give you some practical tips to increase job satisfaction so that you bloom wherever it is you find yourself planted.
A few months back, I noticed a plant growing in a half-inch gap between our sidewalk and the building. It looked very similar to a tomato plant. Since it was a bit hidden, I let it grow to see what would happen. Sure enough, it eventually produced 2 tomatoes before the cold weather zapped it. It reminded me of a picture that used to hang in my childhood home. It showed a flower growing in the fork of a tree. The caption read, “Bloom where you are planted.” The message was clear- do your best in whatever situation you find yourself. Clearly the tomato plant was not intended to grow there, but it was doing the best it could under the circumstances – and even reproducing!
According to an article in Small Business Trends, almost half of you feel just like a tomato plant- stuck in a small gap instead of a spacious garden (September 10, 2018). There are lots of reasons why your job satisfaction might be low. So what can you do if it’s not feasible for you to leave your current job?
Just like the tomato plant, you need to DIG DEEP into the soil to find the necessary nutrients to bloom. Here are 7 tips from author Susan M. Heathfield to help you DIG DEEP and increase job satisfaction:
- Develop a supportive relationship with your boss.
This takes time and effort, but the interdependent nature of this relationship makes it important. Find ways to connect and build a relationship. Schedule a meeting to discuss expectations, goals, and needed resources so you can both succeed.
- Instigate change.
Don’t just settle for the status quo. What can be done to make things better in your workplace? Can responsibilities be moved around to better utilize skills and talents? Think outside the box and work toward solutions.
- Goals accomplished can increase satisfaction.
What small, attainable goals can you do every day, or each week? It’s satisfying to cross things off a list and accomplish goals.
- Discover small things that you like to do.
Whether at your job or outside your job, do something you love. If it is at work, this will help you feel fulfilled. If it is outside of work, it will give you something to look forward.
- Engage positive co-workers.
Negativity breeds negativity. Spend time with co-workers who have a positive outlook and strive to keep things positive in the work place.
- Eat right and exercise.
Avoid large lunches that zap your energy and make the afternoons drag. Re-energize yourself by taking short breaks to move around.
- Procrastination must end.
Putting off work leads to missing deadlines, goals, and expectations. This brings feelings of shame, dread, and/or inadequacy. If this is a struggle, find help on how to fight procrastination, get organized, or develop achievable goals.
The new year is here! You can’t always control where you’re planted, but you can control your response to your situation. If you need to boost your satisfaction at work, dig deep and try some of these steps. Who knows? You might just find yourself blooming.
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