#MondayMotivation – Control Your Likes and Dislikes
We all have likes and dislikes, it’s part of what makes us human. Some things make us giddy, other things make us want to puke. It’s normal human behaviour. However, what isn’t normal are the things liked or disliked. We choose to like or dislike things because time, habit and exposure have made these things desirable or repulsive. A good example of this programming in action can be seen in fashion cycles, and the adoption of fashion trends. Clothing trends start out outrageous, then slowly become hip, go mainstream after a while, end up old school, and after years, the cycle starts again. It’s not that these clothes aren’t fashionable in themselves, but that people’s likes and dislikes are to a large extent influenced by their environments.
Knowing this, can help you rethink your dislike for work, and the stress involved. Here are three simple ways to do this:
- Connect your job to your personal goals
Apart from the usual pay check, your job should be bringing you closer to your personal goals, whatever they are. They might not have anything in common, but this relationship should exist, otherwise you’re wasting a huge chunk of time. Every time you go to work and do a good job, you should leave with the impression that you’re making progress towards the future you want. Use the stress you go through as a sign of progress.
- Associate with the productive and efficient people at work
The people we associate with exert a strong influence in what we think and how we act. Spending time with people who are productive at your office will help you glean their secrets and discover how they do what they do. It’s a simple case of peer pressure except you’re the one in control and are using it to your advantage.
- Read books about your field
Reading the opinions about other experts on your field can be a good way to reconnect to the job, and see it in a new light. You’ll have to be careful in your choice of material though, as not every opinion will be good. Do a quick google search, or ask your colleagues what field-related books have influenced their opinions or helped them gain a new appreciation for the job. If you don’t get an answer from anyone, then your colleagues aren’t the best people to be spending time with, and you might need to rethink the company as a whole.
