Frustrated? Make It Work for You

How Do You Handle Frustration?

Americans are increasingly dissatisfied with their work, a trend that’s been continuing over two decades. A report released by The Conference Board¹ earlier this month shows a 61% decline in worker satisfaction since 1987. Only 45% of workers surveyed say they are satisfied with their jobs, and this is despite the be-grateful-you-have-a-job mentality of the current economy. Commenting on the report, Laura Berman Fortgang offers some insightful observations in an article that I've posted here.

Whether or not this statistic applies to you, I ask you to consider this question: How do you handle dissatisfaction? What do you do when you’re frustrated…whether with your job, your bank account, your spouse, your weight, or anything else for that matter?

Make It Work For You

Here are four ways to work with your frustration:

1. Call it what it is. Sometimes dissatisfaction and frustration show up in capital letters. Other times it’s more of an ebb and flow that never completely recedes. However it appears, the first step is to acknowledge it and call it what it is.
   
   
2. Don’t just feel it…interview it. Talk to your frustration and find out the answer to these questions: What’s frustrating me? What’s really frustrating me? What is it signaling?
   
   
3. Make a decision and take action. If you find yourself bumping into the same frustration repeatedly, do something about it. Take a new approach. Not knowing what to do isn’t the big problem you may think it is. It just means that you need some help generating options.
   
   
4. See it as a gift. Without frustration you might be tempted to settle for the status quo. A woman recently told me that she wasn’t frustrated enough to do something about her predicament right now. I understood completely, and it’s true that frustration can be a great motivator. Actually, I think it can be even more than that. Frustration is often a door to something bigger and more fulfilling that you’re getting ready for. What’s showing up as discomfort, then, is really a call, an invitation, a cue, an opportunity.

Your Frustration is the Door

As I describe on the home page of my website, what I’ve seen is that the best way to find more meaning in your life or more satisfying work is to take on your restlessness as an opportunity.

What will you do this week to walk through the door of your frustration?

Here's to you,

Notes:
¹The Conference Board