The Science of Aging Well: How Your Beliefs Affect Your Health
You’ve heard the question before, “If you didn’t have to work anymore, would you?” And you have probably met a few people who respond to this question with, “Yes, I would continue to work. I enjoy work, it gives me structure and a reason to get up every day.” However, you have probably met more people who answer, “No way.” Even if your answer is “no way,” there are still a few things that can make you thankful for work. This Thanksgiving, we take a look at some of the reasons to be thankful for work.
Six Things That Can Make You Thankful for Work
Unique Co-workers
It seems as if the workplace is a magnet for some of life’s quirkier people. Thank goodness! Think of how uneventful and boring work would be if everyone was similar to you. Be thankful for work mates that are eccentric, like the guy who eats a piece of saran-wrapped carrot cake from the gas station every day of the week. Or the woman who squirms every time someone uses a normal word that falls onto her list of 10 words that should be banned.
Accountability
When you are a part of a work team, you never want to let the team down. Therefore, you pull your weight, adding as much value to the team as possible. Be thankful for work, with the knowledge that it forces you to excel—it compels you to be your best self.
When you surround yourself with competent, hard-working people, your standard for quality work rises. You learn how to hold yourself and your co-workers accountable.
Problems
Jobs exist because problems exist. Your job exists because you and your company provide solutions to problems your clients cannot solve on their own. Essentially, you and your company exchange solutions for payment. Be thankful for work problems which create and prolong your job.
Competition
Your competitors demand you take your work to the next level. Competition pushes you, and challenges you and your team. It may even provide an existential threat to your job and your company, without which you may not strive to take risks. Competition also provides a focus, and a “bad guy,” for you and your team to rally against.
Your Paycheck
You knew we would end on the paycheck, didn’t you? A salary may be the most obvious reason to be thankful for work. With people unemployed, it’s worth keeping in mind that every work frustration you endure eventually ends with steady, reliable income. For every mundane task you complain about, remember there is a person out there who would love to be doing it in your place.
Paycheck Plus More
The American Management Association administered a poll that asked employees what aspect of work they were most thankful for. What was first on the list? A paycheck? Nope. First on the list was “the professional satisfaction it provides me.” Second on the list was “my co-workers.” Third was “my boss.” Fourth was “salary.” And last was “my benefits.”
According to this poll, there are many reasons beyond a paycheck which makes one thankful for work.
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