I advocate side hustling a lot. In doing so, I would hate to be misunderstood regarding my perspective on a traditional W2 job.
Your job is awesome and I’m willing to bet you don’t thank your boss enough.
The Purpose of Gratitude
Wherever you focus your mind, that’s where you’ll be.
This applies across all walks of life, so if you spend your time focusing on how miserable you are…you’ll be miserable. If, instead, you focus on how wonderful life is…you’ll be wonderful. Even in the depths of despair there is something to be grateful for.
There’s a great story I will butcher from my gratitude meditations about a mindful monk getting chased over a cliff by a pack of angry hyenas, where, hanging from a rope before plummeting to his death he realizes the glory of life in a little plant budding on the face of the cliff.
Whether you enjoy work, or you hate work, it’s a mindset, and you can control your mind.
Furthermore, it’s contagious!
If you can bring yourself to a happy mindset at work you will find it wearing off on the people around you bringing happiness out of them which is then transferred back to you. Bear in mind, however, the upward spiral of positivity works in reverse, too. So if you decide to dwell on the negativity you will find that it, too, breeds with those around you.
In the workplace, if you can be the person that people enjoy to be around and the one who people enjoy working with you will position yourself well for progress, growth, or at least security.
Where To Find Gratitude
This concept has been on my mind for a while, but what brought it to the forefront was the recent Open Enrollment season for benefits.
After scrolling through the long list of benefits online, and selecting the version of the ones my wife and I are interested in, I was struck by the final numbers.
On the final page there was a contribution breakdown. While I will be contributing something on the order of $350 per paycheck, my employer will be contributing over $800 per pay cycle!
If that’s not reason enough for an expression of gratitude, here are a few more:
- The consistent paycheck
- Paying Social Security tax on my behalf (a common surprise to the self-employed)
- Job Security, meaning, I don’t have to keep re-finding new work
- Paid time off. Right?! I get paid to not work in the form of:
- Holidays and
- Vacation days and
- Sick days
- Resources, like computers, software, educational opportunities, networking, and tons(!) more
- Retirement contributions, or at least tax benefits
Maybe your list won’t include all of these items, but it includes some, or others. I challenge you to develop your own list of things to be grateful for… and then…
Go tell your boss.
If I Were The Boss (and how I’ll avoid it)
Shortly after being awarded my current position I made a very deliberate point to meet with my boss and share my expression of gratitude. It was well received and he mentioned off hand that he doesn’t hear that very often.
Weird.
If I were the boss I would absolutely NOT cast those things off as insignificant or irrelevant or to-be-expected. I wouldn’t gloat about it and minimize my employees, but I would make it clear that they cost me more than their paycheck.
And for that reason, I intend to never have employees.
IF, I’m ever in the position to need help on a project I will be far more inclined to hire support on a task based model. Meaning, I would hire someone to do a specific task for a pre-determined price and upon completion of the task I will pay that price. Like how Bill just installed a roof on my house.
I’m not paying taxes for Bill, or paying him for days he doesn’t work, or paying his hospital bill, or any of that. I paid him to put on my roof. If I need another one, I’ll call him to do that one too. But if I don’t need a new roof, I’m not paying him.
Changing The Dynamic
Here’s another New Hampshire Man paradigm shift for you:
Your boss is asking you to do work in exchange for money. When you do that job to the best of your ability, and turn it in, and say Thank You for the opportunity to do that job, your boss will do a double take.
Hold up. Did you just thank me for telling you to do something?
Yes. Thank you. And what else can I do for you to make your life easier and more prosperous?
That simple conversation can dramatically change the dynamic between you and your boss. You’re in. You’re the new right hand man. Promote that guy. He keeps asking for work. I need to pay them more.
Try it and tell me I’m wrong.
You Hate Your Job
Ok, I get it. TOTALLY been there. HATED my job and saw no way out.
Try this: even in the midst of that misery take the time, however much is necessary, to find FIVE things you can be grateful for in your position. It could be as stupid as the fact that there is someplace to take a leak.
Write down those five things and designate one per work day.
Every day, from here on out, the VERY FIRST thing you’re going to do is read one of those five things that you are grateful for.
Thank you…for a toilet.
That’s it. Everyday. An expression of gratitude. Give it the space to grow, and watch it grow.
I’m not saying you have to love your job. If you hate it, be thankful for what you can and bust your ass to a life of freedom and independence so you can beat feet out of there. But while you’re there, in fact, while you’re ANYWHERE, find things around you to be grateful for.
Related: How To Add Security With A Side Hustle
Gratitude In Everything You Do
That’s my plug for gratitude at the conventional job. Take those thoughts and spread them across the rest of your life. Gratitude for your spouse, your amazing unbalanced children, your beater car and that lawn that keeps growing.
Find things around you to be thankful for.
I’m thankful you read this, and I hope it improves your life. Keep working on it and I promise to do the same.
-NHMan
[sibwp_form id=2]
