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Work Happier, in 48 Days or Less

Blog / Produced by The High Calling

"What's your 5-year strategy?" Bradley asked.

"I don't have a strategy," I told him. "I'm a dandelion seed. I go where I drift."

I don't think he believed me. (Did you believe me, Brad?) But it's true. I don't have a 5-year plan—unless you consider consistent reading, writing, and dreaming to be a kind of plan. That, and the commitment to—as much as possible—do only the things I love (and ask the same of those who work with me).

In his book 48 Days to the Work You Love, Dan Miller discusses Thomas J. Stanley's research on the millionaire mind. One thing Stanley's millionaires had in common? They were all doing something they loved. I find that fascinating. Not because I want to be a millionaire. Just because it seems a little counter-intuitive and idealistic.

If you're ready for a little idealism with a practical twist, Miller's book is a great beginning towards helping you figure out how to find job-love (though probably not millionaire status smile. He recommends, among other things, that we think of our lives like a wheel, in which work is just one spoke. That alone could make us happier in less than 48 days, if we begin "making deposits" in the other arenas:

• physical—
this immediately lifts our mood, makes us more focused, and gives us a sense of accomplishment
• social
• family
• financial
• spiritual
• personal development—
Miller notes that if you have to drive long distances to get to work, you're spending the same amount of time in the car as a college student spends on a year of college, so why not listen to CDs that help you develop and dream?

Ironically (for me), Miller also emphasizes the importance of a 5-year plan. Goals, he says, set the successful, job-happy people apart from the rest.

Fortunately (for me), he also recommends a serious commitment to exercising, being quick to make decisions, and reading inspirational material. And that's a plan I can live with.

Image by Tim Miller. Used with permission via Flickr. Post by L.L. Barkat, author of God in the Yard: Spiritual Practice for the Rest of Us.

“Most of the material on The High Calling is available for reuse under a Creative Commons 3.0 license. Unfortunately, work by Laura Barkat is not available for reuse. If you are interested in reprinting work by Laura Barkat, please contact her directly.”

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