I'll give you some philosophy about how to stay positive at work. But I'll also
give you a 5-day experiment that you can try. What? You have a job? I emphasize
that right up front because there are so many people who don't. That's really a
first step to being positive at work is realizing that you've got work. How cool
and amazing is that? Focus on that abundance and that's going to change some
things as we start into a 5-day experiment. When I say experiment, I mean
let's try this and see what happens. Pay attention to what changes inside of
you and what changes you see in everyone around you because some of us don't have
very positive places to work. And you know what I'm talking about because
you're watching this video. So, here's your 5-day experiment. Day one is the
gratitude-focus day. So, on the first day... And maybe this starts today or maybe it
starts tomorrow. Your next full day at work, whenever that is. The gratitude-
focus day. Look for things in your work environment the way it is right now
without changing anything for which you are sincerely grateful. Find it. Ask your
mind to look for the things that are already there that you're grateful for.
Now, this might be as simple as "I love the location." If you're grateful for that.
It might be a particular person in your work space that you're grateful for and
that you have a relationship with by virtue of being employed there. It might
be that you actually get a paycheck to show up at this job. Whatever it is but
make a list. And I would encourage you to go big here. What if you can come up with
25 things during the course of that gratitude-focus day for which you are
sincerely grateful. You might have to look hard to get to 25. This is a power
way to change your own focus and it's going to power you up for some of the
other experiments that we're going to do. Let's move on to day 2. Day 2 in our
five-day experiment is the smiling day. This one is actually kind of fun because
people get a little nervous when you show up a new smile. There's a couple of
ways to do this. First I want you to notice what is the natural resting state
of your face? Notice what it's doing right now for example. Where are your
eyebrows? Are they kind of scrunchie like this? Do you hold kind of a tense face?
Start by relaxing. So, just loosen up your forehead around your eyes and through
your cheek bones down in your chin. Just relax for a moment. And notice that it
wasn't very relaxed before if that's the case. Now, what if you were to just bring
a smile to your face? Okay. So, the experiment is this: You're going to smile
as naturally and as genuinely as you can in 5 different settings today where
it could be noticed by other people. One of those settings might be as you enter
the office or your place of employment. You come in smiling. And people are going to
wonder what you're up to or what. And I get this all the time. People... Because I
naturally smile a lot. I'll be out driving and people will wave at me
Because they think I'm smiling at them. Well I've just trained myself through
positivity training and practice. To smile a lot. And it makes people nervous
which is kind of fun for me. Well, you're gonna try this as an experiment at work.
So, it might be a lunch time or as you're having a meeting with some other
co-workers. And they're going to wonder what you're up to. What you know that they
don't know. That's fine. Just let them experience it however they are. This is
an experience for you and just jot down maybe journal each day or keep notes in
your phone about what you notice in this 5-day experiment. Day 2, the smiling
day. Day number 3 in our experiment is the "I'm on it" day.
You're going to use this phrase at least 3 times today in a setting that's
not normally your job or your responsibility. Now, you can say it
actually voice the words --"I'm on it". Let's say for example that somebody comes into
the office. And your job is in this particular area not the parking lot. But
somebody comes in and says, "Man, there's a lot of trash out there in that parking
lot." You're going to say, "I'm on it." And you're going to pick up a bag from back in
the office somewhere. You're going to take it out to the parking lot and you're
gonna start picking up trash. Well is that your job? No. But "I'm on it",
okay? Let's say that there's something on the floor in the office.
Same kind of thing. Let's say that a shipment comes in that needs to be moved
from this room to that room or needs to be received and it's normally not your
job. But you say "I'm on it". I have a colleague who tells a story about a 16
year old kid who did this in a tire store where he was working at the bottom
of the ladder. He was doing all the grunt work around the shop. But he had this
attitude --"I'm on it". And he'd say it with a smile. Remember, we practiced that
yesterday. Say it with a smile and then follow through and do it. This shows
initiative and it changes the energy around your job. I want you to do this as
an experiment because you're going to see how you feel and you're going to see what
the impact is. 3 times, "I'm on it" with something that's not normally your job
or responsibility, got it? Day 4 in our 5-day experiment is
the "You know the thing I love about this job is..." You're gonna use that phrase
out loud with two of your coworkers. Sometime during day 4. So, it comes up
in conversation or you intentionally bring it up. "You know, the
thing I love about this job is and then you complete that sentence with
something that is real and genuine." Go back to the gratitude day if you need to
find something. But it has to be real and genuine. Not sarcastic. That would spoil
it. I want you to be real and genuine about this. And share that with 2 of
your co-workers sometime during day 4 to see what happens. Day 5 is going to
be a lot of fun. This is the "it's not about me" day. Shift your focus for the
entire day to the experience of others. Whether they're your co-workers or your
clients or customers or vendors. Whoever it is. Shift your focus to them. How they
feel about themselves. What their experience is today.
Now, I said shift your focus. This is going to shift your behavior too. But I
just want your focus to get off of you for a full day. And you're thinking about
other people. So, as you come into the office and you think, "Oh, I don't really
like this." Okay, we've already violated it. I don't like this space? Who's the focus
on? You and how you don't like this space. Shift it to someone else, okay? Forget
about the fact that you don't like the space. How's this space working for your
coworkers? Who is it that selected this space in
the first place and why? See. you're getting it. It's not about you. Forget
about you for a minute. For a day actually. This is a powerful way to
increase your own positivity. And I think you're going to notice some things on day
5 that could profoundly affect your ability to stay positive at work. We did
another video not too long ago called "How to stay positive when you hate your
job." That might be a good one to watch next. And I also want to connect you as
soon as possible to pathological positivity. I'm giving this away. You just
pay for the shipping. Go to DrPaulJenkins.com. Click the
big orange button that connects you to your free copy of my book. I'll get it
out to you as soon as you fill out that form.