We all flirt with burn-out for a million reasons. Here are five strategies from Laurie to help us put out the flames before they consume us and making a difference at work. How many of these things are you doing already? What more can you do to invest in your sanity and impact? – InPower Editors
You spend most of your waking hours at work. So why not make a difference while you’re there? – Click To Tweet
If you’re like over half the U.S. population, you don’t like or are certainly not engaged in your work. It saddens me that so many people dislike their jobs.
Part of living a life of ignited well-being is living with purpose, making a difference and enjoying your work. That can look a lot of different ways from starting your business, to volunteering to leading teams. In this article, we will explore 5 ways you can make a greater difference at work, get promoted, have a bigger voice and end your day feeling fulfilled.
1. Work Smarter, Not Harder
There is a myth that you have to work long hours to make a difference. From Bill Gates to Steve Jobs to any other guru entrepreneur, there is an expectation that you have burn the candle at both ends to be successful and change the world.
Long hours are sure to burn anyone out, even you do like your job. Instead of believing that you must work more than the boss, you’re more likely to impress and have a greater impact at work if you work smarter.
Working on the right things is the real key to making a difference in your job according to career coach and author of Six-Figure Start, Caroline Cenzina-Levine in the Fast Company article “How To Get Promoted Without Working Long Hours.” Yes, it’s important to stay connected to your network, but do you need to spend so much time on social media. Even Linked In can be a drain on your time.
2. Stay Focused
Part of working smarter is to work with more focus. The father of Emotional Intelligence, Daniel Goleman, is out with a new book – Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence- that promises to change your work place, challenge your well-being and help you have a greater impact if you can master it. Focus is catching on as a productivity and contribution driver with many entrepreneurs and human performance experts. It’s an obvious backlash to a 24/7 always-connected life.
In our interconnected world, staying focused can be challenging. There is so much chatter to sift through, most of which is in your own head. You know the chatter, the one that is telling you right now to check your email. Techniques for staying focused include meditation, breathing exercises, and developing compassion. Ultimately staying focused is an inside job requiring you to energize your mind.
3. Get An Executive Sponsor
If you’re working for an organization and want to get ahead to make a bigger difference, you need to get noticed. Sure you could wear a lamp shade on your head at the office holiday party, but that will only get you looked over if you’re lucky not to get fired.
To make a difference, you have to be able to lead. And to lead not only do you have to have leadership skills but you have to get to catch the attention of someone above you who can champion your value as a leader. In this video, leadership coach Dana Theus outlines the 7 strategies to getting an executive sponsor to you can make a bigger impact.
4. Love What You Do
Employee engagement numbers are sadly low. In a recent New York Time’s opinion piece by Tony Schwartz and Christine Porath entitled “Why We Hate Work” the authors explore why people are so miserable at work.
The authors lay most of the blame on the workplace and technology. While this might be fair, it makes workers a victim to their employer. Yuck.
The reality is you have a choice. Choose to love your job. Make that choice every day. Take regular breaks to walk, play or create and refresh your mind. Get connected with your big why and the big why of the company.
Choose to love your job.
5. Feel Like A Million Bucks
If you’re dragging yourself into the office everyday, it’s going to be hard to have an impact on the world. When you’re working on how to make a difference at work you need energy, stamina and vitality. In short, you must feel like a million bucks to make a difference.
In this interview, I share my secrets for feeling like a million bucks so you can accomplish whatever you want.
This is only a partial list of tips for making a difference and changing the world.
Updated: Originally posted September 2014
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