http://img671.libsyn.com/img671/31b00ca80f53592ef50c29da130c881d/46383eb5/2944/5743/HBR_IdeaCast_36.mp3

- do not work for a business that you don’t believe in – where you’re just a number and your opinions/thoughts/insights go unheard

- surround yourself with people you respect and admire

- flexibility in the workplace ======= happiness. If I can’t blow off work @ 3pm because I’m going to a Red Sox game later that day, I’m in the wrong job.

- have a boss that believes in you enough not to micromanage you and to that effect challenge yourself every single step of the way. People that sit on facebook or myspace all day because they’re ‘bored’ are not self motivated and do not challenge themselves. Self-motivation has a lot more to do with happiness than people focus on.

Long winded response maybe off center from topic a bit, but if you find yourself in the same routine – throw a wrench in the spokes and when you get flung off your bicycle see where you land (It could be a soft patch of grass).

*read comment again

Whoops you did show me where it’s at, good looking out Mark.

The author HBS interviews in the latest episode has somethin kinda cool, called the 100 jobs exercise. In it, you’re to list the 100 things you’d like to do for a living. Not what you’d make money at or have a knack to do – only those things which you’d have an interest.

In doing this, and taking a hard look at the simularities, you discover what’s missing now that you’re subconciously seeking to fill.

It’s interesting to listen to. On the front page of iTunes under the business podcasts section.

Seriously, though, so many things that were once boring and routine are once again new and interesting after looking at them through the eyes of my children.

Hmmm…in relationships “I” don’t get stuck in a rut because I like to switch things up. When people are “stuck” there is a hurdle moving forward: lack of ambition/laziness, moving forward being too “hard” or too much effort, etc. People change and as a couple sometimes it’s hard to change and grow in the same direction. Most times divorce happens because the people are no longer compatible or they never really where in the first place.

Business-wise I normally only get stuck when I am dependent on something/someone to accomplish the goal. With my site I changed domains/design/blogging platforms but that didn’t solve the problem. I changed a lot the past year and the site no longer represents me. I avoid writing…it’s sort of like traveling but not being able to go home. Writing elsewhere isn’t going to fix the problem but it does make me more aware. Thankfully, writing is the smaller part of what I do everyday but it could (should) be more important.