We’ve all felt it – those dreaded mornings when you wake up knowing your workday is going to be tough or dreary. Perhaps it’s an intense meeting with a prickly boss or a 5-hour session on learning the new computer system or back-to-back meetings all day.
Those days can be long and arduous. However, they don’t necessarily have to be. Attitude counts a lot on these days, and sometimes a quick and easy attitude adjustment can turn a dreaded day into a bearable – maybe even an enjoyable – one.
Take Action – Get Excited!
Here’s one of my favorite and simple techniques for managing my energy around particularly unsavory workdays: When I wake up that morning, before even leaving bed, I walk through the day in my mind and find 1-2 things, events, or moments to look forward to. This can be anything from having a quick conversation with a co-worker that makes you smile to a big deal that you’re about to close on to having a delicious lunch to the client session in the afternoon that you are really passionate about. After that, I pick something in my personal life that day that I’m looking forward to: dinner with my husband, a conversation with a good friend, spending time with my cats.
Another related tactic is to take a moment to remember the parts of your job that you love and give thanks for them.
Instead of focusing on the parts of your day that you’re not looking forward to, make an effort to identify and get excited about the parts of your day – no matter how small – that will make you feel alive or make your heart sing. The more you focus on the positive, the more you will notice it and enjoy it in your life.
