What? You have a job? I emphasize that right up front because there are so many people who don't. That's really a first step to being positive at work is realizing that you've got work. How cool and amazing is that? Focus on that abundance and that's going to change some things as we start into a 5-day experiment.
When I say experiment, I mean let's try this and see what happens. Pay attention to what changes inside of you and what changes you see in everyone around you because some of us don't have very positive places to work.
Day one is the gratitude-focus day. So, this starts on your next full day at work. Look for things in your work environment the way it is right now without changing anything for which you are sincerely grateful. Find it. Ask your mind to look for things that are already there that you are grateful for.
This might be as simple as “I love the location.” If you are grateful for that.
It might be a particular person in your work space that you are grateful for and that you have a relationship with by virtue of being employed there.
It might be that you actually get a paycheck to show up at this job.
Make a list. I would encourage you to go big here. What if you can come up with 25 things during the course of that gratitude-focus day for which you are sincerely grateful? You might have to look hard to get to 25. This is a power way to change your own focus and it's going to power you up for some of the other experiments.
Day 2 in our five-day experiment is the smiling day. This one is actually kind of fun because people get a little nervous when you show off a new smile. There's a couple of ways to do this. First, I want you to notice what is the natural resting state of your face? Notice what it's doing right now for example. Where are your eyebrows? Are they scrunched up? Do you hold kind of a tense face? Start by relaxing. Loosen up your forehead around your eyes and through your cheek bones down in your chin. Just relax for a moment. Notice that it wasn't very relaxed before if that's the case.
Now, what if you were to just bring a smile to your face? Okay. So, the experiment is this: You are going to smile as naturally and as genuinely as you can in 5 different settings today where it could be noticed by other people. One of those settings might be as you enter the office or your place of employment. Come in smiling. People are going to wonder what you are up to. I get this all the time because I naturally smile a lot.
I'll be out driving and people will wave at me, because they think I'm smiling at them. Well, I've just trained myself through positivity training and practice to smile a lot. It makes people nervous, which is kind of fun for me. Well, you are going to try this as an experiment at work.
It might be at lunch time or as you are having a meeting with some co-workers. They are going to wonder what you are up to. What do you know that they don't know? Let them experience it however they are. This is an experience for you and just jot down maybe journal each day or keep notes in your phone about what you notice in this 5-day experiment.
Day number 3 in our experiment is the, “I'm on it” day. You are going to use this phrase at least three times today in a setting that's not normally your job or your responsibility. Now, you can say it, actually voice the words –“I'm on it.”
Let's say for example that somebody comes into the office. And your job is in this particular area not the parking lot. But somebody comes in and says, “Man, there's a lot of trash out there in that parking lot.” You're going to say, “I'm on it.” And you are going to pick up a bag and start picking up trash in the parking lot. Is that your job? No. But, “I'm on it.”
Let's say there is something on the floor in the office. Same kind of thing. Let's say that a shipment comes in that needs to be moved from this room to that room or needs to be received and it's normally not your job. But, you say “I'm on it.”
I have a colleague who tells a story about a 16 year old kid who did this in a tire store where he was working at the bottom of the ladder. He was doing all the grunt work around the shop. But he had this attitude –“I'm on it.” H would say it with a smile. Remember, we practiced that yesterday. Say it with a smile and then follow through and do it. This shows initiative and it changes the energy around your job. I want you to do this as an experiment because you are going to see how you feel and you are going to see what the impact is.
Day 4 in our 5-day experiment is the, “You know the thing I love about this job is…” You are going to use that phrase out loud with two of your coworkers. Sometime during day 4. So, it comes up in conversation or you intentionally bring it up. “You know, the thing I love about this job is,,,” and then you complete that sentence with something that is real and genuine.
Go back to the gratitude day if you need to find something. But it has to be real and genuine, not sarcastic, that would spoil it. I want you to be real and genuine about this. Share that with two of your co-workers sometime during Day 4 to see what happens.
Day 5 is going to be a lot of fun. This is the, “It's not about me,” day. Shift your focus for the entire day to the experience of others. Whether they are your co-workers or your clients or customers or vendors. Whoever it is, shift your focus to them. How they feel about themselves. What their experience is today.
Now, I said shift your focus. This is going to shift your behavior too. But I just want your focus to get off of you for a full day. You are thinking about other people. So, as you come into the office and you think, “Oh, I don't really like this., okay, we have already violated Day 5.
I don't like this space? Who's the focus on? You, and how you don't like this space. Shift it to someone else, okay? Forget about the fact that you don't like the space. How's this space working for your coworkers? Who is it that selected this space in the first place and why? See. You are getting it. It's not about you. Forget about you for a minute, for a day actually. This is a powerful way to increase your own positivity. I think you are going to notice some things on Day 5 that could profoundly affect your ability to stay positive at work.
Connect with us on YouTube for some videos that will help with work. I also have a deal for you. Log into www.drpauljenkins.com and I will send you my book, Pathological Positivity, when you pay for the shipping. Become positive, no matter the circumstances.