5 WAYS TO MAKE EVERY DAY SEEMS LIKE A FRIDAY.
“I Wish it were Friday”
That was the response from the lady I met at the coffee shop on a Monday morning. It is not strange, yet I found this statement alarming this morning as I was getting ready to pay for my coffee. Why is it that many people only live for the weekend, they start preparing and looking forward to Friday right from the beginning of the week? Why can’t people just enjoy and be happy every day of the week? It is true that Fridays signify the end of the work week for most people, but the enthusiasm that people have for Friday shows that most people are not happy with their work. I have heard several phrases that people use during conversation to show their anticipation for the end of the week — Friday. Some includes:
Tell me when it’s Friday.
Oh God its Monday!
I’m hanging in there.
It could be better
Happy Friday eve.
I can’t wait for the week to be over.
Finally, when Friday arrives, the greeting change to:
Thank God it’s Friday.
So why can’t we have Thank God it’s Monday, or Thank God it’s Wednesday?
So, this begs for the questioning, why are people happier of Fridays than any other day in the week? Why can’t we people start treating every day like Friday? Why is Friday so much special that many people look forward to it even right from the beginning of the week?
Two possible scenarios came to me as I ponder on this event.
1. It’s just a catchphrase that most people have become accustomed to.
2. Most people are genuinely not happy at work.
If you fall in the first category of people and you respond to greetings by looking forward to Friday, then you just need to consider a new approach. A different approach that will genuinely express how you feel about each day. For example, you can adopt responses like:
- Majestic Monday
- Thankful Tuesday
- Wonderful Wednesday
- Terrific Thursday
- Fun Friday
Learn to inject some dose of confidence and optimism in each day.
You can be awesome on Monday, great on Tuesday, fantastic on Wednesday, thrilled on Thursday, and feel even special on Friday. This is because, what you say, and how you express yourself will dictate your outlook in life, as well as your output at work.
If you are genuinely not happy with your work and you see Friday as a getaway day to help you relieve tension from the place of work that you detest, then I will encourage you to start looking for something new that will spark your interest. You spend most of your waking hours at work, and life is too short to live waiting for happiness on Friday. Here are five questions that you need to ask to guide you to find meaning at work and live happily every day.
1. Passion: Are you in any way passionate about your career field or the new job you are looking to start?
2. People: Are you happy around the people you work with?
3. Purpose: Have you been able to establish a mission with what you do, other than financial compensation?
4. Pleasure: Are you happy to get up every morning to do your job?
5. Performance: Are you capable of delivering the duties stipulated in your job role?
If you answered “No” to one or more questions above, you need to consider a change. When you are no longer happy at your place of work, you should be bold enough to make the necessary change and find something new that you can do.
Below are the 5Ps of finding happiness at work.
PASSION:
If you have less enthusiasm for what you do, it will be difficult to do a great job or derive any form of satisfaction on the job. Passion provides the energy and interest that will help spark your creativity to do an excellent job. So, if you are in a position that you are not passionate about, don’t stay there for too long. You need to have the courage to look for something new that you will be more passionate about such that you will look forward to going to every day of the working week. It is often said that people must follow their passion, I agree with this, in addition to pursuing your passion, I am recommending that you should find more things you are passionate about and do everything you possibly can to have fun with your passion.
PEOPLE
It is very possible that your co-workers are not among your close friends, but it is crucial that you work with friendly people in a friendly (non-hostile) environment. If you find yourself among toxic people or environment, you will automatically have the TGIF mentality. Your work has become a place where you go, only because you have to, and that you must earn a living. If you have a difficult boss or obnoxious colleagues, there is a high chance that you will not look forward to going to work every day. You should not be in such a situation for too long. It is not fun working with people you don’t like in an environment that you detest, your morale and productivity will be negatively impacted if you find yourself in such a situation.
PURPOSE:
You will perform at your best if you are able to attach a meaning to what you do. The purpose helps you to find your “why” in your work. It also helps to motivate you as you will be able to see and focus on the big picture of your job, and not be deterred or discourage by some temporary displeasure that you may encounter on a day to day basis. With your work, you are either developing products or providing services for the benefits of humankind. Having a purpose about your work will not only make you enthusiastic about the job, but it will also help you to grow in the career and contribute your quota towards solving organizational challenges. If you do not have any purpose about your work today, you can check out my podcast episode 16 to guide you as you answer some simple fundamental questions that will help you discover your purpose.
PLEASURE:
Work is indeed a serious business, but it must also be fun. Having a sense of satisfaction with what you do will not only make you enjoy your work, but it will also enable you to look forward to going to work every day. You will stop being someone that is only happy on Fridays. You will wake up each day, go to work, and be ready to confront the challenges as well as the fun that comes with your job. You will be more fulfilled at work because you know that each day brings its own set of challenges, but you are equipped to work to surmount those challenges, and at the same time you derive satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment for the solution you were able to come up with. Your job will be much more than the paycheck you receive, but a place to develop your career, to improve your knowledge and skill set. If you aren’t happy at work, other areas of your life will suffer as a result. If you are not having any form of fun with your work, you need to find your happy place, go ahead and quit that job, don’t stay in a place that makes you miserable. Make every day like Friday.
PERFORMANCE:
Many people dread going to work because of performance related concerns, especially if they need to work on tasks that are outside their scope or which they are not qualified for. It is also possible that you are working in an environment that is not conducive for you, for example, working in locations that will negatively impact your health, or where the tasks being performed are not done safely can affect your performance or desire to go to work. This will have the tendency to make Friday your favorite working day because you will always look forward to the end of the week when you will be free from the imaginary bondage that your job has placed on you. This is not the best way to live your life. If your job is such that you are unable to perform at the optimum level either due to lack of skills or you find yourself in an environment that you just cannot work efficiently, then it is time to consider a change. Consistently performing below expectations will deprive you of the required interest in the job, effectively making you a fan of TGIF.
