AWARDS: Independent Publisher Book Award 2015 (Silver) and National Mature Media Award 2015 (Bronze)
Step-by-step tips for revitalizing your career
Yes, itis possible to have a job you love, and it doesn't require starting from scratch.Love Your Job is a guide to making work fulfilling and fun again, or even for the first time. Why count down the hours of the day or the days to retirement when you could reinvigorate your workday, transforming the daily doldrums into a daily dose of enjoyable activity? Kerry Hannon,The New York Times columnist and AARP's Jobs Expert, focuses on the little things that can make a big difference in how we feel about work.
Love Your Job is all about the routines, habits, and thought patterns that, over the years, may have turned a dream job into a drudge or, worse, a nightmare. Changing these habits and attitudes is simple, and this book shows you how to identify the little things that make work enjoyable and engaging. Using these simple techniques, you can adopt the attitude that will keep you happy and that might just lead to bigger and better things, no matter what stage of your career you are in. In this book, you will learn to:
Develop new habits that bring more purpose into every single workdayRekindle your hope and motivation by celebrating small successesRecognize negative patterns that keep you from enjoying your jobCraft an entrepreneurial attitude that will get you noticed and enrich your work life
We all deserve to experience happiness and satisfaction every day, at every stage of our careers. Kerry Hannon explains that you don't have to make a huge career transition to love work again. But if you reinvent the way you see work, who knows where your new outlook will lead? Wake up to the countless possibilities that await you withLove Your Job.
Introduction xi
What My Dog Taught Me about Loving My Job xi
Chapter 1Curing the Workplace Blues1
Should You Switch Careers? 3
Chin Up! 6
Take It Up a Notch 7
Loving Your Job 8
The HOVER Approach 9
Get a Grip 10
How to Use This Book 12
Chapter 2Creating the Blueprint for Your Dream Job 15
Map Your Future 16
Your Past Isnt Prologue 16
Nothing Is Forever 18
Look at the Big Picture 19
What Would Make You Love Your Job? 21
What Are Your Work Goals? 23
Adopt New Ways to Envision Your Career 24
Chapter Recap 27
Chapter 3Do an MRI on Your Work and Your Life 29
Create Your Job Budget Sheet 30
What Does Your Work Really Mean To You? 32
Write in Your Journal Every Day for a Week 35
Is Your Pay Whats Really Bothering You? 38
A CanDo Philosophy 38
Consider Taking a SelfAssessment Test 41
Get Ready to Love Your Job 44
Chapter Recap 44
Chapter 4Refresh Your Attitude: The Keystone to Your Love Your Job Action Plan 47
Attitude Adjustment 48
Create Your Own Purpose 49
Write It Down 50
A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words 51
Build a Bear 51
Practice HOVERing 52
Mental Games 57
Adjusting Your Attitude 59
What to Do If Youre Bullied at Work 60
Step Right Up and Enroll in My ThreeStep Fitness Program 64
Chapter Recap 71
Chapter 5Beyond the Job Description 73
Take Time for Renewal 74
Volunteering and Mentoring 77
Adding Value to Your Job 85
Take Control of Your Time 94
Get Involved in Extracurricular Activities 96
Chapter Recap 98
Chapter 6How to Build Flexibility into Your Job 99
Work Flexibility and Happiness 100
A Myriad of Flextime Options 102
How Is Flextime Working? 104
Is Telework for You? 109
The Risks of Working at Home 111
Chapter Recap 119
Chapter 7How to Upgrade Your Game 121
The Benefits of Learning New Tricks 122
Learning and Healthy Aging 123
Getting Over the Hurdles 128
Chapter Recap 135
Chapter 8How to Have the Whats Next?Talk with Your Boss 137
The Time Is Now 138
Questions to Ask Yourself before the Big Meeting 140
Your Plan-and-Prepare Strategy 142
Carrying Out the Ask 146
Chapter Recap 158
Afterword 161
Resources 165
Ideas for Further Reading 165
Helpful Career Happiness Web Sites 169
Acknowledgments 173
About the Author 175
Index 177
