Unhappy New Year: 15 Ways To Stop Being A Misery Guts At Work in 2015

Nearly three quarters of us claim to be really quite miserable in our jobs.

Depending on how drunk we got at the office Christmas party, research has shown that we've either slurringly complained to our colleagues, our bosses or our long-suffering partners about being undervalued, underpaid or totally unsatisfied.

And disappointingly, though we can be very good at grumbling, wine glass in hand, we're not always so good at doing anything about it.

Which means we'll really have to pull our socks up if we want to make lasting changes going into the new year.

We spoke to leadership psychologist Averil Leimon - who coaches senior staff at major organisations such as RBS, the BBC, Barclays and EY in confidence, assertiveness and success at work - and we asked her for her 15 top tips for turning it all around in 2015.

"It's best to start from the inside out," said Averil.

You need to alter some of the core ways of thinking, in order to make significant, long-term changes.

BELIEFS

1. Have No Regrets 

We waste so much time wishing we had done something sooner and feeling sad about our failures to act in certain situations.

Take the energy you have put into this self-criticism and use it to make a plan for the next time a similar situation crops up.

2. Embrace Change

Going through the same old motions at work can feel cosy, but often leads to your being stuck in a rut. Sometimes you need to get a bit uncomfortable in order to move on.

So do something you are scared of. It doesn't have to be too wild - it could be as simple as making new contact.

Speak to people who are doing well, or introduce yourself to the boss you normally avoid.

As creatures of habit we are often our own worst enemies when it comes to our careers stagnating, so this might be the thing to turn that around.

You never know what opportunities a new contact or a new routine might throw your way.

3. Fix The Things You CAN Control

Bemoaning that life is not fair and that there has been strain in the economy gets really dull, for you and for the people that have to listen to you.

Accept what you can't change and accept the fact that you can't change other people, only yourself.

Then, work on the things that are within your power.

For example, you don't like the way a particular superior delivers criticism or advice. If calmly talking to them about it doesn't yield results, then you might instead focus on not mimicking their behaviour in the way that you handle your own team or anyone junior to you. Work on leading by example.

4. Start From A Position Of Strength

We are all too aware of our weaknesses and quite poor at celebrating our strengths.

Make a list of what you consider to be your ten top strengths: if your mind goes blank, try thinking about a time when you were absolutely at your best.  What strengths were you using?

Get a friend to help you dig deeper and to help you isolate your three to five key strengths.

This year, aim to use those strengths in new ways every day.

5. Develop Strong Self-Belief

Negative self-criticism is very effective and stops you achieving anything. Tell yourself to shut up with the old thoughts and build a more constructive way of seeing yourself.

6. If You Do Nothing Else, Work On Your Optimism

Optimists succeed far more than pessimists.

If you tell yourself it might just work, you may actually have a go.

If you are negative, you won't ever see the point in getting started.

Once you've worked on your core beliefs, it's time to start making action plans. Here are some specific things you can start doing as soon as you're back to work after the Christmas break, if not before:

BEHAVIOURS

7. Visualise Yourself

Before you step foot in the office, visualise yourself in December 2015 and see the ideal life you would like to have.

Look back at the year you've just had and see what you have achieved and how you got to this point.

Once you have pictured what you will look like in this new reality, it will make it more possible for you to figure out how to get there.

8. What Gets Measured, Gets Done

It's a business slogan, but it's pretty accurate. How are you going to make yourself accountable? What are the smaller, achievable goals along the way to your eventual success?

Note them down, schedule a time-frame and plan how you will reward yourself for achieving them.

For example, if one of your goals is to network more, plan now which events you will go to and how you will follow up with the contacts you make in order to make the best of those new relationships.

9. Hang Out With The Right People

Research shows that you are much more likely to achieve your goals if you surround yourself with people who share similar goals.

If your mates aren't ambitious, ut youare, it can be easy to let go of your dreams because your friends aren't interested.

Seek out people who either have or are trying to do what you want to do and you will be much more likely to succeed.

You won't have to ditch your friends entirely - there are plenty of coffee mornings, focus groups and mentorship schemes to help you socialise with likeminded, encouraging people.

10. Take Calculated Risks

Ask yourself, what are the potential costs and benefits of any new activity? Be logical about it, rather than emotional.

11. Do It Badly

We are so focussed on doing things well that we overlook the fact that, to do anything new, you have to give yourself permission to be a bit rubbish at it, at least at the beginning.

Build in an expectation that you may fail at first and look a bit silly. Just remember, embarrassment never killed anyone.

12. Look At things Within A Bigger Time Frame

Where do you want to be in five years time? Or even just in the next two? What about next month?

Map it all out, then decide what you need to do today and tomorrow to get started.

13. Take The Long View

This goes hand-in-hand with the previous point. Whatever you do, it may not pay off right away, but if you have a long term plan, you know that your actions are paying into that and that the pay-off will come eventually.

14. Make Time To Reflect

This is an excellent habit to develop for your entire life.

Just 10 minutes a day spent, ideally, looking at what went right and planning for the next day keeps you on track with your goals.

15. Don't Keep Making The Same Mistakes

Work out what patterns of behaviour (habits) you are trapped in and force yourself to build new ones.

It can take a LONG time to build a new habit - one piece of research suggests it takes 280 days - but this means if you start now, by this time next year, the new habit would be fully entrenched.

For example, if you've figured out that the time between 5.30am and 10am is your most productive "zone" it might take a while to establish a routine that involves you working in this period and getting enough sleep.

But just keep making yourself do it, day in and day out and eventually it will become part of your life, maximising your output in the long-term.

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Averil Leimon is a founder and director of the White Wate Group. She, along with her business partner and the rest of WWG, are business analysts and psychologists, specialising in leadership coaching, executive coaching and business strategies. For more information or to purchase one of the many books WWG has produced, CLICK HERE.