How To Have A Great Day At Work

One of the reasons why we dread mornings as much as we do is because of the day at work that lies ahead.

We spend several hours a day, every day, five days a week (if not six), at work. And we could count on our fingers those days among the years that have turned out to be great.

How do we begin to look forward to this mundane routine to actually have a great day at work? Let’s break this down into a few components.

The Night Before

Always prep for the next day the night before. This does more than just help you save time in the morning. You’ll probably be more enthusiastic about putting some thought into what you’d like to wear to work the next day or the lunch you’d like to carry with you (you may want to meal prep something more elaborate the night before). This will give you a head start on the morning, giving you enough time to exercise, meditate, catch up on the news, and do other more rejuvenating things.

The Morning

Most organizations do their best work in the daytime, and they expect you to be on board with that. If you start your morning well, you’re more likely to have a better day ahead. There are many ways to promise yourself a good morning, indeed. Apart from setting a routine that you can rely on, you should also schedule some activities for the morning (such as preparing your favourite cup of coffee, or a long walk in the park) that you can actually look forward to when you get out of bed.

The Commute

Not many of us have the privilege of working remotely or from home. Of course, there are many advantages of getting a job close to home. But if that isn’t the case for you, then it’s a good idea to make the most of your daily commute to work. If you’re able to walk to your workplace or even ride a bicycle, then there’s no better way to be give yourself the adrenaline rush that’ll get you pumped up for the day ahead. You’ll also be doing the planet a favour in the process. If you choose to take public transport, you can use your commute time to read, listen to music, catch up with friends and do whatever else to get you in the frame of mind to face the day ahead.

The Work

There are essentially three aspects to this.

1. Why you do what you do: Ask yourself if you’re really doing what you want to be doing. If you don’t think that is, then it’s time for a change. It’s important to follow your heart, but it’s more important to first know exactly what your heart wants. The first thing you need to do in order to have a great day at work is to really like the work that you do.

2. Being organized: Once you know that you’re doing what you love, being organized comes next. The tendency to procrastinate can affect the best of us, and that can often become the reason for an endless series of not-so-good days at work. Here are some ways in which you can really organize your life.

3. Having productive days: A day that isn’t productive is unlikely to be great. Productivity is more than just about efficiency. It’s about making a difference with the work that you do.

The Co-workers (and Customers)

No matter what kind of job you have, you’re likely to be working with other people. In addition to teamwork being an essential facet of the modern workplace, most jobs today are customer-oriented. With many co-workers and customers on the scene, building healthy relationships with others will contribute in a great way to you having a good time at work. If you repeatedly find yourself at loggerheads with people at work, you may have to do some re-thinking on your part.

The Evening

Having a great day at work isn’t always restricted to the time you spend at work. It’s as much about what you do in your spare time and the ways in which you choose to unwind. Striking a good work-life balance plays a key role in keeping you motivated at work.