How many unhappy people do you think there are in Corporate America?
Too many, I’m sure. But why do you think that is? Many are unhappy because the general culture of Corporate America fosters a feeling that people don’t matter; all that matters is getting the job done.
Only recently have corporations begun to realize that happy employees are more productive than unhappy ones.
Too many people are sacrificing family time because they need to stay late at work to prove they are “part of the
team.”
Others are sacrificing their career ambitions because they have responsibilities to their family.
How may of these people feel obligated to say yes to taking on additional responsibilities at work when they really feel torn between what they ought to do and what they feel is the right thing to do?
This is one of the main reasons many accomplished people are miserable in their lives.
Society is full of people sedating themselves with Prozac, alcohol, or food to tolerate their circumstances.
They are trying to manage their responsibilities or achieve their goals in a way that goes against everything they feel is right – simply because they’ve been conditioned to believe this is the way it has to be.
You can pick the noblest, most respected goal; but if
you try to do it in a way that goes against what you value most, you will at some point fall down – because defying your personal integrity makes you weak.
Example:
Take a manager who is highly social and has an inherent love of people.
Now, tell him the only way to get further ahead is to push his staff really hard, make no allowances for personal issues and lay people off without shedding a tear.
He is going to have a painful – perhaps impossible
– climb up the “corporate ladder” because it goes against what he loves most: People.
On the other hand, someone who is highly utilitarian, who values money for the security it brings, would be stressed in a job that requires a lot of effort for little to no pay.
Success comes quickly and joyously to those who know
how to align their goals with their values and desires.
Action Step: Write down the 5 things that you value most and journal how you can align these things with your goals.
