Job satisfaction can be described as the fulfilment of your wishes, expectations, or needs at your job. Your level of job satisfaction is affected by external influences but it is largely is dependent and controlled by you.
The major key to job satisfaction is knowing yourself and discovering what motivates you to get up and hit the road on a on a typical working day. Enjoying your job is a big deal and it plays a crucial role in the pace at which build your career. Here are some factors that can steer you towards enjoying a higher level of job satisfaction.
A Heart of Gratitude
No matter how bad you have it presently, having a grateful attitude could shine the light on new opportunities for you. A grateful heart will keep committed at your present place or level of work while you work towards getting a better job and greener opportunities.
It gives you clarity and ensures you make career advancement decisions that are not entirely myopic. Zig Ziglar once wrote, “Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions. The more you express gratitude for what you have, the more likely you will have even more to express gratitude for.” Cultivate the habit of staying grateful.
Comparison Steals Your Joy
Whether you are comparing your workload, salary, career path or job level with that of a friend or colleague, one thing this does is that it distracts you from focusing on the positives of the situation that you find yourself. Like Theodore Roosevelt said, “comparison is the thief of joy.”
Don’t compare yourself to anyone. If you need a better salary, work harder, put in a request for a raise or start searching for a better paying job. If you want another job or if you are considering veering into a different career path, go acquire new skills and be on the lookout for better opportunities.Take deliberate steps to put yourself on the path of progression instead of comparing yourself to others. Don’t deprive yourself of the job satisfaction you deserve.
Don’t Isolate Yourself… Build Relationships
For your job satisfaction, you should network and seek mentorship but most importantly, build meaningful relationships within and outside your organisation, which is even better. What building relationships does for your career is that you don’t come to the table and restrict yourself to deriving benefits. You should also imbibe the culture of providing value.
Don’t isolate yourself to your job and tasks you have been saddled with. It is okay to build a relationship with your boss and other colleagues. It will give your job satisfaction a boost especially when you do it willingly.
Invest in Your Health For Job Satisfaction
Health is wealth. This is a very popular saying and it applies to you and your job satisfaction level. Opt for a lifestyle that puts you in a better mental and physical state to perform on your job.
Your diet is also crucial. Strive to eat healthy meals, exercise regularly, drink loads of water and don’t indulge in self-medication.
Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff
Most people are guilty of sweating the small stuff at the workplace. Some of such things include dwelling on how a colleague looked at you, your colleagues, how you think your colleagues don’t like you or not receiving a ‘thank you’ email for the hard work you have out in. Here’s an advice for you, don’t sweat the small stuff because you’ll eventually realise that they don’t matter as much as you think they do.
How You Perceive Your Workload Against Your Salary
How do you currently view your workload from the company your work for especially when you measure it against your salary? Is it too much? Is it just enough or is it too little when measured against your salary, benefits and other perks. How you perceive all of these impact your job satisfaction level greatly.
If you believe your salary is commensurate with your workload, you’re likely to have a higher job satisfaction level. You should, however, be wary of becoming too comfortable. If on the other hand, you believe you are doing far more than you currently earn, your present job might simply be a building block to better opportunities within the organisation or with other companies.
Job Achievements Records
Achievements are important to job satisfaction. Keep a journal or record of your achievements to remind yourself that you’re doing great or not so great but can do even better.
Your job satisfaction calls for a conscious effort and constant commitment to keep it at an appreciable level. Never forget that attitude is everything. The outcomes in your personal life and your career is 10% of what happens to you and 90% of how you react. You are in control; own it!
