Work consists of whatever a body is obliged to do, and play consists of whatever a body is not obliged to do. -Mark Twain. With all due respect to Mark Twain, I think there is a better way. Work can be fun. Any work can be turned into a game.

Here are a few ideas to help you find the fun in any job:

1. Play music

Turn on your CD player, MP3 player or even the radio. Music has the ability to draw our minds away from the more disheartening aspects of any job.

2. Make your work a competition

If you are working with someone else, make it a race to see who can get it done soonest. Or who can complete the most of each task.

3. Just dive in

Most of our feelings of dread disappear once we become immersed in a project. Whatever it was that made us put it off or want to avoid it, just goes away once we get started.

4. Ask yourself, "What can I find to enjoy about this?"

Few jobs are totally devoid of any feelings of satisfaction that comes from just doing it. Psychologically, we need work in order to be happy. Work itself is often its own reward. Make an effort to find what gives you satisfaction in the job at hand.

5. Keep score

If your job is to make cold calls all day, keep records of how many calls you make. Break down how many you make before noon, how many you make each hour and how many you make for the entire day. Then on subsequent days, see if you can beat your previous day’s numbers. This builds a challenge into the job instead of it being one huge objective.

6. Can you make your job a team effort?

Involve a friend or work side by side with someone whose company you enjoy. Companionship can make most experiences more enjoyable.

7. Take breaks

Don’t let fatigue rob you of any joy that comes from doing good, honest work. Stop occasionally and stretch or walk around. Come back to the job when you feel refreshed.

8. Break the job down into more manageable tasks

Big jobs tend to overwhelm us and demoralize our will. By making a big job several smaller jobs, you can enjoy that feeling of satisfaction sooner and more often as you cross each small job off your list.

9. Do quality work

Sloppy, get it done work feeds no one’s ego. There are tremendous psychological rewards that come when we know we just produced good work. This sounds silly, but I have gone back into a clean garage, after spending my entire Saturday morning straightening it out, just to look at and appreciate my own workmanship.

10. Change the setting

Can you take the job outside? If you have a back deck on your house, take some jobs outside and enjoy a beautiful day while you work. Do you remember those beautiful Spring days when a teacher might have occasionally taken the entire class outside to teach outdoors? Try to do that with your own work.

Work is what you make it. Few jobs are as boring or agonizing as we sometimes make them. If you can turn work into fun, how much more enjoyable would your entire life be?

COPYRIGHT 2006, Charles Brown. All rights reserved.

About the Author - Just a few years after attempting suicide because every area of his life was in crumbling apart, Charles Brown has learned to literally "re-wire" and "re-program" his brain to achieve success in everything he attempts. He now teaches others how to use neuro-linquistic programming (NLP), subliminal technology, self hypnosis, and other methods to make major changes in their lives. He is the author of the free downloadable ebook, The Science of Change: How To Re-Program Your Mind and Transform Your Life. This ebook has 49 pages of transformational information and can be downloaded at http://www.geocities.com/chbrown56

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Charles_Brown

Everyone wants to have a great work day.     You want to go to work, get the job done and head for the horizon with a smile on your face.   It’s easy to have a good day at work if you prepare in advance and keep a good running list of how to get through with the most happy day.

Here are the top 10 ways to have a happier workday -

1. Eat breakfast

If you skip breakfast, you won’t be at your best during the morning.   You will more likely gorge yourself at lunch and have a sleepy afternoon.   So eat something, anything (within reason) so you can ensure a smooth start.

2. Get plenty of sunshine

Sun in the morning signals the body and mind to wake up.   So instead of reaching for a big cup of Joe, put on your shoes and go outside.

3. Get Aerobic Exercise

while you are getting your sunlight, use it as an excuse to get a good walk or jog in.   Exercise lowers stress, gets your blood moving and wakes you up.

4. Avoid RSS, EMAIL or phone before 10 am

RSS, email and phone demand immediate attention.   Whereas your goals and work for the day can easily be brushed to the side.   If you can avoid the urgent and unimportant until 10 or 10:30, you’ve got a fighting chance at getting all of the important tasks done.

5. Think positive thoughts not negative

Seems simple, but many people never do it.   Instead of looking on the worst side, try to see the bright side.   Ask yourself “what is the advantage of this situation?”   “how am I benefiting from this?   What am I learning?”   These are all good questions that you can ask in all negative situations to turn them to the positive.

If you push on one task for too long you your work starts to suffer.   It’s easy to become tired and frustrated.   So every 30 – 45 minutes, take 5.   Get up from your desk, stop what you are doing and get your mind off your work for awhile.   You’ll find you’ll return with more ideas and renewed energy.

7. Go for a mid-day walk

again, I’m harping on the exercise.   Getting a brisk walk in over lunch (even if for only 10 minutes) will get you to feeling better about your afternoon.   Where most others are sitting around digesting, you can be energizing.

8. Avoid gossip

One drain on your day is gossip.   It may seem fun and exciting to learn some juicy tidbit about your officemate or boss.   But good gossip is always negative talk.   Negative talk starts the pendulum swinging toward negativity.

9. List your top 5-7 objectives for the day and break the list down to 3

It’s good to get in the habit of making lists, it’s bad to make long lists.   If you’ve got more than 5 items on your list, break it down to the top 3 things (you can always go back and edit in another task or two).   But with a list of 20 things, how can you not be overwhelmed? 3 is a manageable, magical number.   Break your list down to 3.   Anybody can do just three things right?

10. Be slow to react to other people’s “urgent” requests

When someone else asks you for help, to do a project or to meet some other urgent need, practice saying “what’s your deadline on this?   or when do you need this done?” Then schedule that day.   Most people when asked one of those questions realize it’s not as urgent and will set a future date.   That way, you can go back to working on one of your top 3 activities.

It will take just 37 seconds to read this and change your thinking.

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room’s only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation.Every afternoon,  when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window. The man in the other bed began to live for those one hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside. The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance. As the man by the window described all this in exquisite details, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine this picturesque scene. One warm afternoon, the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man could not hear the band – he could see it in his mind’s eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words. Days, weeks and months passed.  One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away. As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone. Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the real world outside. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window besides the bed. It faced a blank wall. The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window. The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall. She said, ‘Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you.’ 

Epilogue:

• There is tremendous happiness in making others happy, despite our own situations.
• Shared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness when shared, is doubled. 
• If you want to feel rich, just count all the things you have that money can’t  buy.
• Today is a gift, that is why it is called   "The Present".

As we live our daily routine, our lives, no matter how busy or involved you are, can become monotonous. How can you make it more exciting?

1. Kick up your wardrobe a notch

Wearing bolder clothes or a different style may let people see you in a new light–which means they’ll interact with your differently.

2. Use a pedometer to count your steps

It’s an easy incentive to get more active, and it may encourage you to go outside when you’d usually be sitting indoors.

3. If you drive, park your car a mile away and take the bus the rest of the way

Maybe you’ll see a restaurant you’d like to try some time, or meet someone you’d otherwise never meet

4. Switch offices or desks with a coworker for the day

A new space may inspire you to think differently, which could ripple into your actions.

5. Do something you used to love but haven’t done in a while

Ride your bike to work, talk to your Spanish friend in her native tongue, or post a soulful blog.

6. Help someone with something you love doing

Post a Craigslist ad offering to give someone dating advice or help someone choose the right used car.

7. Learn something new on your lunch break

Listen to an audio book, take a class, or head to your local library.

8. Use familiar things in new ways

Make a planter out of a milk jug. Use egg to make your hair shiny. Google "odd uses for" to find more ideas.

9. Talk to someone on Twitter who does what you’d like to do for a living

Ask that designer how she got her first break. Find out which schools that architect recommends.

10. Commit to trying five new things

a new food, a different hair style, a new exercise class. Anything that pulls you out of your comfort zone.

Have you ever had one of those days where you could barely squeeze in 5 minutes to use the bathroom? At one time I had my 3 little ones in diapers, it’s a wonder my bladder didn’t explode! Or I could’ve used a diaper myself.  As a busy parent, we hardly have a moment to ourselves. While parenting our children is undoubtedly the most rewarding job in the world, the joy can be robbed if we are overworked.

We cannot be at our best as a parent if we are short on energy and short on our temper.

Here are three signs that you need a break –

• You want to scream, cry, and throw something across the room all at the same time.
• You want to gorge 10 pounds of chocolate at one sitting.
• You want to curl up in a fetal position.

Don’t let yourself get to that breaking point!

The ideal situation would be to get a babysitter for 2 hours and have that time to yourself. However, we all know it is unrealistic to have that luxury everyday. However, we can be creative in carving out some moments where we can give ourselves a quick lift. It will make all the difference.

I’ve found these 10 ways to rejuvenate my energy in the midst of a busy day. These work even with the kids around:

1. Get some fresh air

I know it can be an effort to get out of the house, but believe me, it is worth the effort. Pack the kids up in a stroller, take a snack and juice for them, and go outside for a short walk. Breathe deeply! Look up at the sky, enjoy the beauty of the day. Take a camera with you and take pictures of flowers or a butterfly. Have your children collect pebbles, leaves and flowers. That keeps them well-occupied. I love looking at the houses in my neighborhood while getting landscape ideas and criticizing weird choice of paint colors! Occasionally I’d find a neighbor to chat with. Going outside gives you a freshness in your day.

2. Make yourself a hot cup of spice tea

Sit down and drink it slowly. Sometimes I put a warm towel over your eyes for one minute.

3. Start making plans to do something for yourself

Call the babysitter, make a hair appointment, schedule a lunch with a friend. Having something to look forward to will lift your spirits.

4. Do jumping jacks or jump rope with the kids

A little exercise to get the blood flowing will actually give you more energy than sitting down. I have a very old Jane Fonda aerobics tape that I follow once in a while with my children jumping around along with me.

5. If you can’t get away to take a shower, the next best thing is wash your face

I like to splash my face with nice warm water for several minutes and scrub with a moisturizing cleaner. Once in a while, I’ll apply a mask. The laughter of the children at the way you look with a mask on is an added benefit! After that, put on fresh make-up, even if you’re not going anywhere. You’ll feel more alive when you look good in the mirror.

6. Call a friend

Call a friend to chat.

7. Turn on the radio to your favorite station

I like listening to talk shows to engage myself in the outside world. Music that promotes a calm atmosphere is good too.

8. Read a joke book or read jokes from a joke website

there are so many good clean jokes on the internet. Make sure you laugh out loud

9. Get food delivered

I generally prefer my own home-cooked meals, but some days, I don’t need the stress of having to cook. It’s also relaxing to eat out of the box so there are no dishes to wash.

10. Give time to yourself

This is the most important one – when your children take a nap, make sure you use that time to clean the house do something for yourself – take a shower, read a book, take a nap!

Life is chaotic, at best. We rush, we multi-task, and we try to be all things to all people, often failing to save anything for ourselves. We crave peace – but usually aren’t willing to do what it takes to achieve peace, or we take the alternative route and look for ways to find peace that generally only bring more chaos. Here are ten simple ways that you can bring peace to your life…no matter how chaotic your life may be.

1. Realize that you cannot control anything other than yourself in this world

You are the only thing that you have complete control over. When we realize this, and adjust our outlook and our actions accordingly, life becomes much more peaceful. Trying to control other people, or situations that really are beyond our control, only serves to suck away our time and adds to the chaos and frustration of life.

2. Cut some ties – and make new ones

This one isn’t easy, but if you want a peaceful life, it must be done. For most of us, there are one or two people – possibly more – that are in our lives, but bring very little to our lives on an emotional or support level. This isn’t a question of ditching friends who haven’t done anything for you.

3. Reduce the clutter in your life

Clutter does not represent peace. This doesn’t mean that you have to give away all of your worldly goods. It means that you need to clean and organize the closets, drawers, shelves, and other nooks and crannies in your home and office. As you organize, get rid of anything that you don’t use, don’t need, and can easily live without. Donate items to charity, hold a yard sale, throw it in the trash…just get rid of the junk that you don’t need.

4. Clear the air

If you’ve had any disagreements in any of your personal relationships, and you are still smarting from them, clear the air. Go talk to that person. Let them know how you feel. Apologize and ask for forgiveness if this is needed. Request an apology and forgive if that is what is needed. Lay your cards – and feelings – on the table. If the relationship is worth saving, you will work it out. Otherwise, it is causing discord in your life – even if that discord is only in your mind – and you might need to cut ties.

5. Re-evaluate your budget and finances

Money makes everything very complicated, and does little to garner peace. It has been said that money cannot buy happiness, but that isn’t necessarily true. Are you going to be happy if you can’t pay the mortgage, and you have to live on the street? No. Are you going to be happy if you can’t afford a college education for your kids? No. Are you going to be happy if you can’t pay the power bill, retire, take your annual vacation, or purchase new clothing for your kids? No, no, no and no.

6. Forgive yourself

Think about past mistakes that you have made. Reflect on them for a bit. Be clear about where you went wrong. Forgive yourself, and promptly remove it from your mind. We do learn from our mistakes, and we take those lessons into the future. It doesn’t mean that we have to dwell on those mistakes and constantly beat ourselves up for them. We are all human, and even the smartest and brightest have made their fair share of mistakes. You are not alone. Forgive yourself and move forward.

7. Turn off the news

Obviously, you do need to keep up with what is going on in the world. Most of us don’t have to do it on an hourly basis, or even a daily basis. Use the Internet and services such as Google to have news delivered to your email inbox. Make it a point to only read those news stories once or twice a week – and never in the evening hours, when you are trying to unwind from your day. The world is a scary place, and the news reminds us of that each minute of each day. This doesn’t contribute to a peaceful life.

8. Take the time to make a schedule for your week, each week

Stick to that schedule as closely as possible, but also understand that plans sometimes must change. Make a note of free time and instantly schedule in some ‘you time’ or something fun, instead of waiting for other people to fill that time for you. Set priorities to the items on your schedule. Make detailed notes that you will understand. Plan, but don’t over plan. When something new comes up, put it on the following week’s schedule, instead of rearranging this week’s schedule. Learn to say ‘no’ and ‘I can’t do that this week, sorry.’

9. Limit the technology in your life

Technology does not bring peace. The computer looks innocent enough – but you have the entire world at your fingertips right inside of that little box. This is overwhelming when you actually think about it. Learn to turn the box off, turn the television off, turn the cell phone off, and simply get out and enjoy the world up close and personal.

10. Take time out for yourself

Most people really fail to see the importance of this. When we take time to simply be by ourselves, without doing anything else to occupy our minds, we are able to reflect, dream, and simply relax. This brings the ultimate peace.

About the author – Kelly Lowe offers more tips and information on Simplifying Your Life On her site, Let Me Tell You What, you can learn more about simplifying your life, bringing peace into your life, dealing with day to day problems, and learning to be happy and healthy in general.

So you work in a cube farm, and every day you spend there sucks more and more of your sanity away. You’re pretty sure that any day now you will be taken off in a straight jacket to work in your new padded cell. How can you avoid this? How can you hang onto a semblance of sanity when day in and day out, you spend eight hours sitting in the center of three industrial walls? It’s not as hard as you might think. Here are some suggestions to help you preserve your sanity.

1. Change it up

When your surroundings do not change, the best way to keep your cool is to change them yourself. A friend of mine has been in the same cube farm for nearly 10 years. During that time, she has made a point to randomly change the decorations in her cubicle. But she doesn’t just add a photo here and a knick-knack there. My chum is a serious Trekkie and makes a point to focus on one character (or race of characters) at a time. So one month will be Cardassian month and the next will be all about Dr. Bashir or Jean-Luc Picard. Not only has this helped her sanity, it has given her quite the reputation around the company and provided plenty to chat about.

2. Take breaklets

Most people work like this:

• Work four hours
• Take a lunch break
• Work four hours

This works for a while, but eventually it will catch up with you. Instead of sticking only to this schedule, you should mix it up. If your company allows it, split your break up into smaller breaks throughout the day. Or better yet, just randomly get up and take a stroll around the company. If you have to, grab a folder or a handful of papers and make like you’re heading for the printer. Just get up and get out of that cubicle throughout the day. Taking strolls around the company won’t just get you out of your cubicle; it will give you a bit of exercise you desperately need. If you’re feeling really daring, skip the elevator and hit the stairs!

3. Crank up the tunes

Music is the food of life. But you will be best served (as will your fellow employees) if you keep that music to yourself. Back when I had an office at TechRepublic, I was notorious for cranking up techno very loud. It didn’t dawn on me that maybe it would have been better if I’d left the volume at a respectable level. And that was with an office — not a cubicle. When you are working in a cubicle, your best bet is headphones. I also recommend that you don’t just bring in your favorite CDs and listen to them over and over. You might as well stare at the same gray-brown walls and listen to the voices developing in your head. Instead, point your PC to a nice Internet radio station. If you use Linux, you may want to open up Streamtuner as I do, and take in a whole world of music.

4. Turn to Facebook/Youtube/Twitter

I know, it sounds horrible — but I am advocating the use of social networking sites at work. However, I suggest you use them with moderation. Do not plant yourself on Facebook and stay there at the expense of your work. Instead, give yourself social breaks between tasks. Complete a task, update your status. Reconfigure that router, tweet! Or create a social networking site for your fellow workers. With this in place, your social networking will be work related. If you can’t create the site yourself, propose this to your IT staff.

5. Move your office

I don’t mean literally. But if you use a laptop, take it away from your cubicle and move to the break room or a meeting room. Do this once a week or so, and you’ll find that cubicle not nearly as life-stealing. Just make sure you are not breaking any company policies by doing so. And if the weather is nice enough (and your signal strength will reach) take that laptop outside for an al fresco workday. Just remember to have a full battery or an outlet nearby.

6. Socialize

We’ve all done it before — worked in places where we just… couldn’t… stand… the… people… we… worked… with. You can’t get along with everyone, but there should be someone you can at least form some sort of social bond with. Find someone who shares similar interests (like Star Trek, Linux, or mountain biking) so you will at least have SOMETHING to talk about (other than complaining about how you hate your fellow workers).

7. Do an Act of Random Kindness (ARK) every day (That’s why Noah built the "ARK")

This is all about karma. Do something good for a coworker every day. It doesn’t have to be big. You could pick up someone’s print job for them and deliver it to their cubicle (see number 2) or clean up an area around the office. Just make sure the act is random and anonymous. The anonymity will give you a certain pleasure as you watch others trying to figure out who did the deed.

8. Play hooky

Remember how good it made you feel back in college to skip a day of class? That feeling can be enough to get you through until the next vacation day. Find a special event or just a perfect day outdoors and call in sick. Yes, it can backfire on you if your boss takes a break and catches you playing Frisbee golf in the park. But then, if your boss catches you in the park, what exactly is he doing there?

9. Employ the Les Nessman cubicle strategy

Who can forget Les Nessman, the award-winning news director from WKRP? One of his many quirks was his belief that a news director should have his own office. Well, he didn’t — so he made do. Les lay down masking tape on the floor to create the outline of the walls of his “office.” He even included a “door” that he mimed opening and closing every time he entered or exited. So what is keeping you from going “Les” on your cubicle? Tape down that fourth wall, include a door, and insist that people “knock” and use the “door” when they need to meet with you.

10. Have a sense of humor

Humor will get you through just about every situation — including cube life. Become a practical jokester, laugh at silly mistakes, let everyone see that you can take just about anything that life throws at you. But as you’re laughing it up and plotting the demise-by-joke of your next victim, always remember your company policies. Make sure your master plan does not go against any company rules, or the HR department will have the last laugh. Above all, have fun, enjoy your workday, and make it more pleasant for everyone around you.

If there’s one thing all people have in common, it’s that we want things–and we often feel disappointed and dissatisfied when we don’t get them.

You can’t always get what you want, but you can get where you’re headed if you just keep going.
In the meantime, these suggestions may help you feel more content with the reality you have right now:  

1. Acknowledge where you’d like to see improvements

If you’re unhappy, there’s a reason. Identifying what you’d like to change is the first step toward becoming more satisfied.

2. Take one step every day toward changing what makes you unhappy

The most important part of creating change is maintaining forward momentum. Spend a little time every day creating the life you want, and it will eventually become a habit that transforms your life.

3. Set small, attainable goals

This isn’t to say you shouldn’t set large goals. If you set small ones, as well, you’ll allow yourself abundant opportunities to feel proud of what you’ve accomplished.

4. Do something you always wanted to do, even if on a much smaller scale

If you’ve always dreamed of playing piano, book your first lesson. When you go after your passions, you generally feel more fulfilled, whether you impress other people or not.

5. Make a list of your accomplishments and add to it daily

You may not realize just how many of your goals you’ve already reached.

6. Identify ways you’ve improved people’s lives for the better

We’ve all had our It’s a Wonderful Life George Bailey moments. You have made a huge difference in at least one person’s life. If you can’t see that yourself ask the people closest to you.

7. Practice mindfulness–focusing fully on whatever is in front of you

When you root yourself in the present moment, contentment is more attainable. It’s far easier to be happy in one moment than it is to feel satisfied about decades of events.

8. Shift your focus from things you do to who you are

Even if you’re not pleased with your professional advancement, you can still feel proud of how far you’ve come as a person–the way you make people laugh, how you’re always patient and understanding.

9. Redefine satisfaction

You may think everything needs to be perfect for you to feel fulfilled. Since you likely will always strive for more in life–no matter how far you go–why not learn to feel satisfied within the process of becoming?

10. Try one new thing every day

One of the most common ways to feel stagnant is to fall into a routine. Trying something new gives you a sense of excitement and adventure. When you feel truly alive in a moment, you’re less likely to dwell on things you think are missing.