The following was originally posted on my other websites blog. Now that I am working to define that as more of a Web Design and Coding blog, it fits better right here on Timis.me. Originally titled How To Enjoy Your Life and Your Job and was written in April 2010, and I have not changed it, aside from the title (and ok, adding some links).
As I begin the redesign of my other sites, chances are good that I will move the posts I want to keep, but don’t fit with my vision moving forward. So feel free to subscribe to my RSS Feed to stay on top of them! Hope you enjoy.
How to Enjoy Your Life and Your Job
“You probably spend 40 percent of your waking time at work. Now start enjoying it!”
I am trying to read more, period. Regardless of the nature of the book, I find reading relaxes me in a way a TV show or a movie cannot. Ideally I’d like to read books aimed at self improvement or skill building (no worries, I will fit the fantasy and sci-fi books in as well). So that is why I choose to start with a Dale Carnegie‘s book: How to Enjoy Your Life and Your Job.
When I was in the Peterborough Public Library, looking for a book to read, I was presented with two copies of “How to Enjoy Your Life and Your Job”. The one currently in my hands is the much more fragile one of the two, and the one printed in May 1974. The other one, printed in the 90s, didn’t appeal to me. The reason is simple: I’ve read “How to Win Friends and Influence People”, both the original press, and the modern addition, and to me something always appealed to me of the original.
This book is simply a select collection from Dale’s other works like “How to Win Friends and Influence People” and “How to Stop Worrying and Start Living” geared towards overcoming frustration, boredom and fatigue. Some of which I was already familiar with, some of which I was not.
The book itself is divided into four parts, and each part of several chapters. Each Chapter contains a rule to help you along the path to enjoyment of your job and your life.
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Here is a sample of those rules:- Do not imitate others.- Count your blessings – not your troubles.- Put enthusiasm into your work. Of interest here is that it is recommended that you at least fake enthusiasm, as this will often lead to better results from your work and a more positive effect in the long run.
- Remember that unjust criticism is often a disguised compliment. - Don’t criticize, complain or condemn. - Be honest, sincere and friendly. - When it comes to others mistakes, call to them indirectly. - Always talk about your mistakes before criticizing the other persons. - Ask questions instead of giving direct orders. |
Some of these rules seem to be very common sense, and you may not need to be told them. I submit to you two points:
1) Everyone could use a reminder every once in awhile, and this book does an excellent job of providing little stories to really drive home the effectiveness of these rules.
2) Sad to say, but sometimes common sense isn’t altogether that common.
At any rate, I highly recommend “How to Enjoy Your Life and Your Job”, as while as some of Dale Carnegie’s other works, including “How to Win Friends and Influence People”.
Hope you enjoyed it! Stay tuned for more, follow me on Twitter or join me on Google+ for the latest on tim is me and the redesign that is coming. Thanks for reading!