For every “I wonder why..”

For every “I wonder why…” that you contemplate, see if you can come up with a bizarre and unusual answer.  Sure, also come up with the explanation that might be scientifically accurate.. like why is the sky blue according to science.. but THEN, to inspire your beautiful creative mind.. come up with another answer.. the bizarre, or fantastical, or anything that connects the seemingly disconnected.

It’s good for your creative thinking. And creative thinking? It’s the way to get answers from the soul.

Haiku by a cubicle dweller

In my cubicle I sit.

Envying the dead.

2 more hours to go.

_____

Contributed by a friend, who heard from a friend, etc.

Sad. True.  Time to take responsibility and make changes. Everybody deserves more than this.

How I love Monday Mornings!

My monday mornings start with a hike with a group of friends – climbing, huffing, puffing, chatting. Today’s hike was in the foggy hills, it was exhilirating.  And a funny thing happened as we walked. We realized each of us used to hate Monday mornings.  We used to work 9-5 jobs.  Now we hike Monday mornings.  We all still work.. just differently.

Jealous?  Ya, I remember working and seeing women out for a run and wishing it were me.   Okay, maybe this post isn’t cheering you up. Sorry. But honestly, you’re life can be different.  ANd it will be!  (picture me enthusiastically cheering you on!) You, too, can hike on Monday mornings!

In the meantime, imagine it. Oh, and get a coach to get clear, create plans, and get going.   Mondays don’t have to suck anymore.  What’s your dream?

When all else fails…

ask yourself “how can I make this funny?”

No. Wait. I take that back.  Ask yourself this question before all else fails!

Bullying beyond high school and into the office space

An article worthy of taking that extra click:  office bullying – it exists, and you may recognize it when you read the article. 

http://employee-management-relations.suite101.com/article.cfm/office_bullies

Even if you wanted to like your cubicle, you can’t. But you can decorate it for Christmas, anyway.

I really don’t watch TV much. But when I do, there are always digs on every show that has a cubicle, about hell in the cubicle.  Pretty much sets a standard to hate your cubicle.  Of course, they are playing to the general population who really don’t want to be in a cubicle all day.. but what if you actually liked showing up to your cubicle? What if you liked your work? What if your boss isn’t an idiot and your co-workers don’t have square eyes? What if no one is big brothering your email?   Do you still feel some sort of pressure to hate your cubicle?

I’m just curious. I don’t actually know anyone who likes their cubicle. But if you do, congrats. Add that to your list of what makes you special.  Haven’t made that list?  oh, goody, another thing all of you can do to while away the cubicle day AND trigger thoughts on how to get the hell out of the cubicle- well, except those of you who don’t want to leave.  Honestly, you ought to celebrate that.

And you can celebrate by buying christmas lights that are powered via USB. How cool is that?  I love Thinkgeek.   Just got the latest newsletter full of insanely creative goodies for cubicle dwellers and actually anybody who likes insanely creative goodies.  Link is on the left.  See? → → → → →. never mind, it’s refusing to show up there. And it’s not even an affiliate link that wordpress sometimes attacks!  so here it is: http:www.thinkgeek.com

Today you get to quit multi-tasking! whoo hoo!

It’s bad for you.  Well, no, actually it doesn’t even exist.   Read on, my friends.. learn how you can be more creative and efficient by not multi – tasking.

There’s more than a couple of possible benefits for you readers, 1. you get fired for refusing to multi-task.  2. your work environment actually changes and makes you happier.  3. you come up with a creative idea that will work to get you out of the cubicle and into your life.

http://lateralaction.com/articles/multitasking/

Happy Tuesday. Uh huh.      

101 ways to get out of the cubicle and into your life, by guest writer and life coach Janet Whitehead

If you think Janet Whitehead is me the blog owner, you could be right, you could be wrong.  But if I were Janet Whitehead, I would refuse to take responsibilty for advising you to throw hard marshmallows at idiot coworkers and other such tips in this blog.  It’s so un-coach like.

And so I invite Janet Whitehead to introduce an exercise that can help you find your way out of the cubicle.

Hello, I’m Janet Whitehead – personal life coach with expertise in creative thinking. (Note from blog owner: ‘And we all know it could take some creative thinking to get you out of your hell hole.’)

 Try this activity. (Note from blog owner – ‘If big brother is watching you and asks what you are doing, you could answer “doing a creative technique to create the most efficient money making task list for the company. Sir!”)   (“Stop interrupting, blog owner!” says Janet)

Again, Try this activity:  You could probably google ’101 tips for leaving your current job” and get all kinds of tips.  This is not what this is about. Someone else’s tips might give you some inspiration, but as a life coach, I know you are a creative resourceful being who already has the answers. I just help you find them.  This exercise is a stream of consciousness creative exercise.  It’s going to allow your right brain – which is full of brilliant ideas, but rarely speaks – to share some of its insights.  Really.

Get pen and paper.  Computer and new doc works too.  Heck, you can even do this in a comment at the end.

Number 1 – 101.  OR you can simply number each item as you go, but you must convince yourself that you are obligated to do 101 items. (NOTE: if you just got tired thinking about doing this… perk up, sunshine. You’re wanting to make changes – this is going to tell you what they can be. You’ve got answers. You deserve to find them.)

Now write 101 ways to leave your job.  That’s a lot. That’s going to make your logical left brain give up.  Your right creative imaginative brain is going to have to take over (as long as you insist to yourself that you will do 101 ideas.)  Give yourself some time… but do not write a few items, go for lunch, come back do a few more, leave again, etc.   This just isn’t that type of exercise.

When you get to #4 or thereabouts, and you are finding it hard to write more, you can be silly. As soon as it gets hard to come up with the next one, concoct ‘ridiculous’ ideas like  ”Fine. I could just walk out right now and not come back.”   Or ‘silly’ ideas like “I can marry a rich man/woman’ or  ‘impossible’ ideas like  ‘get a grant for emerging writers and write a book’ or write silly non-idea stuff like “this is just stupid.”  or “Janet schmanet” or  … well, are you getting the picture?  The point is to keep writing.  And just watch what emerges. 

When all is written, you will have some new ideas of how to make changes in your life.  Even better, or if you are still not having an ‘aha’ or two, share the list with a trusted friend – one who supports you and is non-judgemental.  Sometimes a friend will ‘see’ clearly what you cannot see – right there in your list!

Honour yourself by choosing to take some small step  towards your future of not being in a cubicle suffering holiday re-entry syndrome while playacting that you are a good happy efficient employee.    Life is good. Live it.

contributed by Janet L. Whitehead.   Musings and Mud – The Coaching Studio.  www.musingsandmud.com

Thanks for stopping by, Janet!  Happy exploring, readers!

“Oh please let summer continue” the cries of cubicle workers yell out across the universe.

Before I leaped from the corporate world, I did spend some summers stuck in an office, counting the minutes to the end of the day so I could go boating, counting the minutes to a couple days off for camping, and counting the minutes until vacation so I could really escape with my young family.  That was a lot of ‘minute counting.’

I understand September in the Cubicle. I understand that one suffers ‘re-entry’ after vacations.  Somehow you know you gotta survive til next year’s holidays.

That’s kinda depressing.  Re-entry sucks.

If ever a quote fits, this is it:

“‘Life’s too short’ is repeated often enough to be a cliche, but this time it’s true. You don’t have enough time to be both unhappy and mediocre. It’s not just pointless, it’s painful. Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, maybe you ought to set up a life you don’t need to escape from.”
Seth Godin, from his book, Tribes

My leap wasn’t simple or easy. It would have been awesome to have a life coach help me see the whole thing clearly. My leap was a roundabout, bizarre, series of … stuff.  If I’d had a life coach, I could have always been taking tiny steps towards making the change. I could have had a clear image of what could work or not work. And I could have avoided a rather grand portion of my ‘thought time’ that was stewing over  ’how the hell am I gonna get out of the cubicle?” without getting a hell of a lot of answers.

Hmm, this post was supposed to be a light and entertaining welcome back to the cubicle!  I screwed up.  Do you feel any better knowing I understand and am empathetic?

I’m sorry you are stuck in a cubicle.  I have faith you will find a way out.  OH, check out this post… 101 ways to leave the cubicle for good. http://outofthecubicle.wordpress.com/2009/09/08/101-ways-to-get-out-of-the-cubicle-and-into-your-life-by-guest-writer-and-life-coach-janet-whitehead/

This’ll be an empowering step for you….

 

When your toxic environment crashes and burns…

Sometimes the dynamics of an office that hasn’t been functioning well for a long time starts to crash and burn.  People suffer.   Crashing and burning just isn’t fun EVEN if you consciously know that this is the  only way for things to finally change …since all else has failed despite honest efforts.   I sincerely hope most readers haven’t ever witnessed this; have never been in a toxic work environment; and have never witnessed the chaos of the crash and burn stage.. when everyone feels reactive, threatened, defensive, confused, and exhausted.   

Even the healthy people who have been working hard to respond, rather than react, are just too darn tired to get a clear picture of what could help anymore.  

 I believe there is a phrase that says ‘ sometimes a person has to hit bottom before finally quitting drinking.”   Perhaps the same phrase can apply to an organization where the environment has been too toxic to even ‘think’ itself into a more sober state.   They hit bottom, and hopefully recuperate from there.

Ya, I hope you’ve never been there.  If you are there, though, and in this minute quitting isn’t an option, then know this:  It will not always be like this.  Visualize a much healthier future.  It will happen.  Whether you leap, or whether the crash and burn results in a healthy rebuild.. you are not in this crazy unhealthy space permanently.

Breath.

Make up hysterically funny reasons why you are glad to be there.

Go look at creative cubicle toys at Thinkgeek again.   (link on side)

Using the following phrases to write a poem, short story or sketch:
spiral silver, sewing needle,  ancient wisdom, squirrel-like.

Do whatever it takes to give yourself a moment of humour or creative  pause.   Just one moment of funny or playful or lightness (even if the humour is a bit nasty) can heal a lot of moments of dis – ease.

Remember: it won’t always be like this.