Chicken Soup for the Soul: My Resolution
BY: Vickey Kalambakal
Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.
~Winston Churchill
One holiday season, way back in the 1980s, I was caught unprepared for the New Year. Somehow, I forgot to make a resolution, and didn't realize it until January 2nd, when my three office mates began discussing theirs. What to do?
I could have copped out. I could have said, "I don't make New Year's resolutions." But that would be a lie; I did make them. What's more, I liked them! I just... forgot.
Was it too late?
I don't know where the idea came from, but I opened up the Power Point program on my computer, printed out a sign in bold 32-point letters, and taped it to the wall in back of my desk. The sign read:
If it ain't fun, I ain't doing it.
When co-workers asked me my resolution, I pointed to the sign. Everyone laughed and a few double-entendres were muttered.
"Does that mean you're only going to do half your work?" one boss asked. "Because if I have to hire an assistant for you, we need to talk."
I worked for a small company where kidding and practical jokes were daily occurrences -- often initiated by management. "An assistant would be great," I said. "She could give us all pedicures."
"I'll think about it."
A few days later the Sales Manager burst in. "I'm swamped. Clear your desk, you've got to help me. We've got a new promotion planned -- well, not really planned, you're gonna get stuck with the planning stuff. A national contest... we're giving away T-shirts and sound systems. It'll run for three months. You need to schedule.... " He stopped, catching sight of the sign behind me.
The Sales Manager tapped his pencil on his papers and turned away. He looked down the hall for a few seconds before flashing a huge smile at me. "You are going to love this! A national contest; this will be so much fun. You'll be talking about this for the rest of your life -- you'll tell your grandchildren about it! You'll be meeting celebrities, writing radio promos...."
And so it went. Everyone who saw the sign reframed the tasks we did together. We discovered that ripping and separating six-part forms was actually cathartic and released tension. Running to the warehouse to check on orders could be great exercise. A phone call broke up a dull afternoon. Once, the boss brought in a six-pack of soda and announced that our weekly meetings would now start with belching contests.
If it ain't fun, I ain't doing it. Could I refuse the work that wasn't fun? Not without losing my job! I had to reset my own mind and find fun. It wasn't that hard; I liked my job to begin with. Invoices, shipping labels, customer service questions -- all became, by wild (and sometimes twisted) leaps of the imagination, fun.
Not every story evolved into an anecdote, of course. Sometimes the fun was no more than an espresso or ice cream break when the work was done. My work didn't change, but my attitude did.
That resolution taught me that fun exists all around me, waiting to be found. Pain, drama, boredom, stress, and sadness are there too. We choose what to see and how to respond to it.
BY: Vickey Kalambakal
Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.
~Winston Churchill
One holiday season, way back in the 1980s, I was caught unprepared for the New Year. Somehow, I forgot to make a resolution, and didn't realize it until January 2nd, when my three office mates began discussing theirs. What to do?
I could have copped out. I could have said, "I don't make New Year's resolutions." But that would be a lie; I did make them. What's more, I liked them! I just... forgot.
Was it too late?
I don't know where the idea came from, but I opened up the Power Point program on my computer, printed out a sign in bold 32-point letters, and taped it to the wall in back of my desk. The sign read:
If it ain't fun, I ain't doing it.
When co-workers asked me my resolution, I pointed to the sign. Everyone laughed and a few double-entendres were muttered.
"Does that mean you're only going to do half your work?" one boss asked. "Because if I have to hire an assistant for you, we need to talk."
I worked for a small company where kidding and practical jokes were daily occurrences -- often initiated by management. "An assistant would be great," I said. "She could give us all pedicures."
"I'll think about it."
A few days later the Sales Manager burst in. "I'm swamped. Clear your desk, you've got to help me. We've got a new promotion planned -- well, not really planned, you're gonna get stuck with the planning stuff. A national contest... we're giving away T-shirts and sound systems. It'll run for three months. You need to schedule.... " He stopped, catching sight of the sign behind me.
The Sales Manager tapped his pencil on his papers and turned away. He looked down the hall for a few seconds before flashing a huge smile at me. "You are going to love this! A national contest; this will be so much fun. You'll be talking about this for the rest of your life -- you'll tell your grandchildren about it! You'll be meeting celebrities, writing radio promos...."
And so it went. Everyone who saw the sign reframed the tasks we did together. We discovered that ripping and separating six-part forms was actually cathartic and released tension. Running to the warehouse to check on orders could be great exercise. A phone call broke up a dull afternoon. Once, the boss brought in a six-pack of soda and announced that our weekly meetings would now start with belching contests.
If it ain't fun, I ain't doing it. Could I refuse the work that wasn't fun? Not without losing my job! I had to reset my own mind and find fun. It wasn't that hard; I liked my job to begin with. Invoices, shipping labels, customer service questions -- all became, by wild (and sometimes twisted) leaps of the imagination, fun.
Not every story evolved into an anecdote, of course. Sometimes the fun was no more than an espresso or ice cream break when the work was done. My work didn't change, but my attitude did.
That resolution taught me that fun exists all around me, waiting to be found. Pain, drama, boredom, stress, and sadness are there too. We choose what to see and how to respond to it.
http://www.beliefnet.com/Inspiration/Chicken-Soup-For-The-Soul/2010/12/Fun.aspx?source=NEWSLETTER&nlsource=49&ppc=&utm_campaign=DIBSoup&utm_source=NL&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_term=mail.ru
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