WEBVTT - Pin down what makes you miserable

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to before breakfast, a production of I heart radio.

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<v Speaker 1>Good morning, this is Laura. Welcome to the before breakfast podcast.

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<v Speaker 1>Today's tip is to figure out exactly what makes you miserable.

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<v Speaker 1>Sometimes a job might be salvageable if you solve the

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<v Speaker 1>right problems. Today's tip comes from Shanna Leibowitz Gainer's new book,

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<v Speaker 1>don't call it quits. Turn the job you have into

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<v Speaker 1>the job you love. Shanna points out that in many cases,

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<v Speaker 1>when people quit their jobs to take new ones, they

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<v Speaker 1>wind up with the exact same problems. That's because no

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<v Speaker 1>job is perfect and many jobs can be improved if

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<v Speaker 1>you take the initiative. Sometimes the right move is to quit,

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<v Speaker 1>but sometimes it isn't, and you want to make sure

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<v Speaker 1>you've addressed to anything changeable before you uproot your whole life.

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<v Speaker 1>So she suggests if you are feeling miserable, list what

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<v Speaker 1>are your least favorite parts of Your Work Day? Answering

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<v Speaker 1>this question is important, she writes, because, well, it's likely

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<v Speaker 1>that you spend a lot of time thinking about how

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<v Speaker 1>terrible your job is. It's possible that you don't know

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<v Speaker 1>exactly what's making you miserable. So be specific about the

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<v Speaker 1>tasks and interactions that drain you or feel creatively stifling.

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<v Speaker 1>Shana goes on to note that you shouldn't discount small stuff.

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<v Speaker 1>Some of the most enlightening research I've covered, she says,

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<v Speaker 1>shows how much people underestimate the pain of commuting. Or

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<v Speaker 1>maybe it's something else, an overflowing inbox, sitting too close

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<v Speaker 1>to the trash can or being in a really bad

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<v Speaker 1>desk chair. Maybe you work somewhere where they pipe in

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<v Speaker 1>terrible music, where there are televisions constantly on so you

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<v Speaker 1>can't think. You might also note exactly how these least

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<v Speaker 1>favorite aspects of your job make you feel board frustrated angry.

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<v Speaker 1>If there are particular tasks that are making you miserable,

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<v Speaker 1>try asking yourself this question. Why do you think your

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<v Speaker 1>managers have you performed these tasks? It's probably not just

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<v Speaker 1>because you hate them. Is a task advancing a core

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<v Speaker 1>organizational goal? If so, you can remind yourself of this

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<v Speaker 1>and it might make the work feel more meaningful, if

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<v Speaker 1>not necessarily better. But if not, maybe you can ask

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<v Speaker 1>if you could stop doing it or if you could

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<v Speaker 1>do it differently. If you talked with your manager about it,

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<v Speaker 1>what do you think he or she would say? Could

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<v Speaker 1>you make a good argument. In any case, sometimes the

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<v Speaker 1>most miss herrible moments of our day have solutions that

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<v Speaker 1>don't involve quitting. There are better desk chairs out there.

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<v Speaker 1>Maybe nobody likes having those televisions on and you can

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<v Speaker 1>all lobby to turn them off. Maybe the trash can

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<v Speaker 1>could go somewhere else, or maybe you could work from

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<v Speaker 1>home an extra day per week and make the commute

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<v Speaker 1>too fewer times. Again, sometimes the right answer is to

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<v Speaker 1>quit a job. Sometimes places are unreasonable, even about little things.

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<v Speaker 1>If they won't move the trash can away from everyone's desks,

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<v Speaker 1>maybe you do want to move, but it's worth exploring

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<v Speaker 1>other options too, and by identifying which moments and tasks

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<v Speaker 1>make you miserable, you might be able to start solving

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<v Speaker 1>some of these issues, which will definitely improve daily life

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<v Speaker 1>in the meantime. This is Laura. Thank for listening, and

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<v Speaker 1>here's to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody,

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<v Speaker 1>I'd love to hear from you. You can send me

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<v Speaker 1>your tips, your questions or anything else. Just connect with

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<v Speaker 1>me on twitter, facebook and Instagram at before breakfast pod,

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<v Speaker 1>that's b the number four, then breakfast P O d.

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<v Speaker 1>You can also shoot me an email at before breakfast

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<v Speaker 1>podcast at I heart media DOT com. That before breakfast

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<v Speaker 1>is spelled out with all the letters. Thanks so much.

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<v Speaker 1>I look forward to staying in touch before breakfast. Is

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<v Speaker 1>a production of I heart radio. For more podcasts from

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<v Speaker 1>podcast or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. K