Wednesday, April 16, 2008

The Easy Way

How To Make Work Fun and Earn More Money...

"What you can do, or dream you can, begin it; boldness has genius, power and magic in it." Johann von Goethe

Making work fun and earning more money in the same sentence? It is possible to love your job, if you know how to create your ideal environment. Do you enjoy the camaraderie of walking into an office every day and seeing the same smiling faces? Or do you prefer working independently of supervision? Do you enjoy going to the same place every day or prefer a job where you're moving around? Do you like work with routine where you perform the same tasks day in and day outB61?

To make work fun and earn more money may require you to take more risks. Is it important to you to work for a large organization where you receive lots of perks and benefits? Or are you more of a maverick? Are you a risk taker who prefers to be your own boss, with the freedom to set your own hours, and possibly travel? Are you more suited to a work environment where you are moving around in different locations each day? What matters most freedom or security?

These are the questions I was asked on multiple questionnaires when I visited a career counselor and motivation coach years ago. What came up for me was a need to work independently, free of supervision, and with flexible hours. Self-motivation comes naturally to me. I love what I do for a living so it's easy for me to work without supervision. If I won $50 million in the lottery, I'd still continue with my speaking engagements, seminars and leadership training.

How about you? What are you passionate about? If you won the lottery tomorrow what would you want to do? What would you try if you knew you wouldn't fail? In making work fun and earning more money, these are questions to ask yourself. No matter how much money your career provides, you will not enjoy it unless it's in line with your core values.

How To Make Work Fun: Recreate Your Job Keeping Core Values in Mind

If you're bored with your work, find ways to recreate it. Life is too short to stay stuck in a job you can't stand. You may be in the right field, you simply need to "fine tune" your values. For example, freedom, creativity, travel and flexible hours are important to me. I don't like working in an office. Being able to spend time with my dog at the dog park in the middle of the day is a core value. As I write this, I'm sitting inside a Starbucks in a Portland, Oregon suburb where outside there are gorgeous views of the Cascades and Mt. Hood. What a great way to work! You get the point.

Ask yourself…what is my risk tolerance? What are my core values? What is something you are passionate about where even with a financial windfall you'd keep doing that thing. It may be a hobby that starts as a side job. You may have to keep your "real job" for a while to fund your dream. Figure out what you love to do and find a way to get paid for it.

Colleen Kettenhofen is a motivational speaker, workplace expert, & co-author of "The Masters of Success," as featured on the Today Show, along with Ken Blanchard and Jack Canfield. For more free articles and e-newsletter, or to order the book, http://www.colleenspeaks.com/ Topics: leadership, management, difficult people, public speaking. Colleen is available for keynotes, breakout sessions and seminars. 315http://www.colleenspeaks.com/

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