Are you happy doing what you’re doing? I’ve thought a lot about this question recently, and I thought I’d pose it to all of you. I’m afraid that too many people work at something that they don’t enjoy, but do it because they “need the job”. Perhaps they feel stuck in a position because it’s their comfort zone and they’re afraid of something new. Maybe they feel that it’s the only job they could get and they’re lucky to have it.

Whatever you may be thinking, I still think it’s a valid question to ask yourself. If you’re genuinely happy at your job, fantastic. But for those of you that aren’t, do something about it. You don’t necessarily have to get a new job. There are probably things that you can do at your current job that will help you enjoy it more. You may be able to ask for different types of assignments that are better suited to your interests.

You also shouldn’t exclude the thought of doing something completely different, something that you really love. It probably won’t be something that you can immediately switch to, but you ought to start thinking about what it would take to get where you want to go. Maybe you need to go back to school. Maybe it’s finally getting to work on that side business you’ve been thinking about.

The bottom line is that you should do what interests you and what you’re passionate about. You’ll end up being much happier, and you’ll also probably do better financially because you’ll actually have an interest in what you’re doing instead of just putting in the time for the paycheck. It’s something to think about at least.

I just came back from a meeting this evening, and I got to thinking about what was or wasn’t accomplished. It also got me thinking about meetings in general and how useless they are sometimes. These are my thoughts:

1. People love to hear themselves talk. This has been evident in almost every meeting I’ve been a part of. They don’t really care if what they say will add any benefit or value, but because they think they sound intelligent they will say it anyway. Why? Because they like to hear themselves talk.

2. People also like to speak in very broad and general terms. They do this because then they won’t actually have to do anything specific. They may sound very impressive (refer to #1), but they can leave the actual work to someone else. These people also like to philosophize.

3. A meeting is usually called for some specific reason, yet the meeting rarely accomplishes what it set out to do. This is perhaps the most amazing observation I’ve made. Even though the meeting hasn’t really accomplished anything, the participants will walk away feeling like they’ve gotten something done and been productive during the day. And of course they’ve been productive, they’ve been busy all day in meetings, right?

4. If for some reason a meeting has actually accomplished the very thing it set out to do, it will rarely end early. People will find something useless to talk about since they don’t want to go back and actually get some real work done. And the best part about this is that everyone knows what they’re doing, but it will remain unspoken.

Although the tone of this hasn’t exactly been all that positive, you can learn a few things about your personal involvement in meetings. Make sure you’re not one of those people described above. You’ll be so much more productive.

With it being Labor Day weekend, many people are visiting family, going to the lake, or having a barbecue with friends. How many of us, however, actually know the origins of Labor Day or why we celebrate it? Other holidays are connected with battles, national triumphs, or the remembrance of great individuals. Labor Day, on the other hand, is devoted to no man, sect, race or nation.

Labor Day is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers and is a yearly tribute to all of those who have contributed to the strength and prosperity of our country. It is a celebration of all of us and of those who have gone before us.

There is something to be said for learning the principle of hard work and achievement. It’s something that we should teach to our children and inspire in those around us. We should aspire to always be productively engaged and work towards our goals. The satisfaction that comes from this is extremely rewarding.

We should also learn to productively structure our time so that it’s in line with the goals that we’ve set for ourselves. Many people don’t mind being busy, but they require some outside structure to be provided for them such as school or a job. Learn to value your time and structure it yourself. You’ll not only accomplish more but be more fulfilled and satisfied with your life.

So on this Labor Day, take some time to reflect on your past achievements and the goals that you have set for yourself. Then resolve be more proactive in your endeavours so that you may take part in the social and economic successes of the great country in which we live.

As we go through life day to day we’re met with many challenges, setbacks, or even complete failures. These types of things aren’t out of the ordinary. They happen to everyone. What sets people apart are how they handle these situations and what they do afterwards.

When something hasn’t gone your way, or at least the way you would have liked it, what’s your typical reaction? Perhaps you get down on yourself. You’ve also possibly wondered why you even tried or went down that path in the first place. You may have also tried to figure out why it didn’t work out right so that you’d know how to better handle such a situation in the future.

This last reaction will bring you much more success in life than either of the first two. I’ve previously written about a formula for success that involves such a reaction. Persistence is one of the main keys for success because we’ll all be met with setbacks and failures. Those who succeed in their endeavours are almost without exception “persistent failures”.

They’ve made the decision to learn from their mistakes instead of wallow in them. They keep trying to reach their goals instead of giving up at the first try. They’re also more likely to succeed in a state of action than inaction. So, take a look at your goals and what you’re doing to achieve them. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to be a persistent failure.

Well, I finally signed up to take the GMAT. I haven’t really done much studying for it yet, but I wanted to set a date so that I have a deadline. For some reason, I work much better under pressure and when I have a deadline to meet. No surprise that I wrote a reminder of procrastination the other day. It was probably more for myself than anyone else.

As far as the test goes, I’ll be taking it in a little over two weeks. I’ve got an online study program that I’m able to take through my work along with some study books that I got from my brother. I’ve never really been one to need a lot of studying for things, but I’m going to try to put some effort into this one. If for no other reason than it costs $250 to take.

Hopefully the money will be well worth it, along with all the effort required to get the degree. I’m actually quite excited to go back to school to get a degree in business. Before, I was working towards a degree that others told me I’d be good at and would allow me to get a good job. Now I’m going to be working towards a degree where I’m actually interested in the material. I’ll post other updates if there’s anything notable.

One of the biggest obstacles that separates us from success in many areas is procrastination. To procrastinate may be defined as:

“To put off doing something, especially out of habitual carelessness or laziness.”

My intent here is not to write a lengthy dissertation on a subject that has already been well covered elsewhere, but rather as a reminder of the subject. We all procrastinate in various aspects of our lives because we tend to focus on and do those things which we most enjoy. Some people actually enjoy jogging and other forms of exercise while there are those who loathe it. The latter group would most likely be the ones to procrastinate in this area, telling themselves they’ll get to it when they get to it.

When it comes to our finances, it’s much the same. There are those who enjoy them and those who don’t. For those of you who don’t enjoy managing your personal finances but know it’s important, don’t procrastinate the situation any longer. If you find yourself in debt, don’t put off the task of implementing a plan to rid yourself of it.

This procrastination will also hold us back from reaching some of our goals. We must remember that all goals are made up of many small steps. When we keep putting off the small steps, we’re holding ourselves back from reaching our main goals. So, when you’re sitting there this evening watching television or doing something equally mundane, stop and do something that you’ve been putting off for a while. Then, see how you feel afterwards…

I ran across a great story today detailing one man’s daily commute. He works at the Library of Congress in Washington D.C. and was tired of the highway congestion on the way to and from work.

One day he noticed the Anacostia River that runs parallel to the highway and wondered if he could get to work on the water. He now rides a bike to a boathouse, rows 6 1/2 miles, and then rides another bike from the river to the Library of Congress.

I was fascinated by this story because it highlights someone’s imagination and creativity used to change an otherwise tedious and irritating part of the day. I can imagine that he’s more productive and generally happier at work than he was previously.

Is there something in your daily routine that you could change to make things better for yourself? Get creative; you’ll never know until you give it a shot.

You can read the whole story here, Man Rows to Work, Leaving Car Behind.