{"id":4420,"date":"2015-03-10T06:47:47","date_gmt":"2015-03-10T10:47:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/?p=4420"},"modified":"2015-03-10T06:47:47","modified_gmt":"2015-03-10T10:47:47","slug":"life-reimagined-kerrys-advice-on-the-new-rules-for-career-happiness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/?p=4420","title":{"rendered":"Life Reimagined: Kerry’s Advice on The New Rules for Career Happiness"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"images\"<\/a>\u00a0\u201cLife is too short to be miserable,\u201d says career coach Kerry Hannon. Her book, Love Your Job: The New Rules for Career Happiness<\/em><\/a>, is a game-changer for workers who crave a career reboot without starting from square one. \u201cI call this my \u2018suck it up\u2019 book because so many people need a job and want to work,\u201d Hannon laughs. \u201cThis book helps readers do an MRI on themselves and find new ways of happiness in their jobs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Here, Hannon\u2019s strategies for bringing new energy into your career without starting over.<\/p>\n

1. Keep a journal<\/strong> and highlight things you love about your job, whether it\u2019s your colleagues or a specific task. Refer to it often.<\/p>\n

2. Start some sparks.<\/strong> Boredom is the root of unhappiness. Try something new to get your adrenaline pumping, whether it\u2019s forming a band with coworkers, taking a professional development course, or joining the company softball team. \u201cStart small,\u201d Hannon <\/a>advises. Just start!<\/p>\n

3. Try to telecommute<\/strong>. \u201cHappier and loyal workers have flexibility,\u201d Hannon says. \u201cPlus, it\u2019s rewarding to be told, \u2018You\u2019re a grown-up, and we trust you.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

4. Declutter!<\/strong> It does wonders for productivity and perspective.\u00a0 \u201cWhen people feel low on energy, often it\u2019s because they\u2019re not clearing out as they go. Their inbox is overflowing. Their desk is a disaster. Their file drawers\u00a0are jammed,\u201d Hannon says.<\/p>\n

Decluttering is liberating and empowering. Hannon quotes career coach Beverly Jones: \u201cYou are saying, \u2018This is valuable, this is not.\u2019 It\u2019s a physical, practical way to\u00a0engage in making decisions about your life and what you want to do with it.\u201d<\/p>\n

See also Kerry’s Workshop<\/a><\/p>\n

5. Decorate<\/strong>. Hang a special image in your office, not near your phone. \u201cYou need something that you can turn toward, take a deep breath, and redirect the day,\u201d Hannon says. \u201cFor me, it\u2019s a photo of the Blue Ridge Mountains.\u201d<\/p>\n

6. Stay up to speed<\/strong> on your field. Read the latest news and trade magazines. \u201cThen you don\u2019t feel like you\u2019re just doing the same thing over and over,\u201d Hannon says. If you become complacent about trends, you\u2019ll get left behind. Then, when new and interesting opportunities do arise at work, you might not be nimble\u00a0enough to grab them. So make a practice of reading trade publications. And set up a\u00a0Google Alert\u00a0to notify you about the latest industry news. Being in the know can inspire\u00a0you to think of projects you might be able to nominate yourself for at work or start on your own.<\/p>\n

7. Ask for new duties<\/strong> to combat inertia. \u201cLook at what you currently do, and add something that just might scare you,\u201d she says. If you\u2019re worried you\u2019re not up to the task, raise your hand anyway, accept the invitation gracefully and with confidence, and then get moving to figure\u00a0out how to do it. The adrenaline will charge you up, and when you succeed, the rewards will be internal and external.<\/p>\n

8. Volunteer. <\/strong>You can step outside of yourself this way. \u201cA lot of employers have great volunteering programs. It builds bonds with coworkers and gives you perspective beyond yourself,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

9. Last but not least, smile<\/strong>. Really! \u201cThe more you laugh everyday, the better the whole world feels,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

By Kara Baskin

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