Karlyn Borysenko - Zen Your Work: Create Your Ideal Work Experience Through Mindful Self-Mastery

Anyone who has spent time in the professional world has probably had a less-than-ideal work experience (or several), and I am no exception. But one of my jobs was particularly bad. The organization was like a magnet for some of the most toxic individuals Ive ever encounteredcynics, pessimists, and downright narcissists were in almost all the leadership positions, and their attitudes permeated the rest of the staff. My best days there were the ones when I just sat at my desk, stared at my computer, and didnt say anything to anyone at all. But with a calendar full of meetings, that was rarely an option.

When I did interact with my coworkers, everything was a fight, every project was a struggle, and nothing was ever good enough. I was underutilized, unappreciated, and spent my car rides home each evening either crying or yelling at the universe for putting me in this situation.

But even the most horrible things we experience can be a blessing. This is the position that taught me what it means to zen your work. During a particularly toxic time, I made one of the best decisions I could havegetting the heck out of Dodge to go on a weeklong cruise in the Caribbean. Stuck in the middle of the ocean with no internet access (who wants to pay the wifi rates on a cruise!), I had time to reflect on how I had created this situation for myself, and what I needed to do to get out of it.

When you zen your work, you embrace the concept that you are in control of your professional experience and mindful of how everything you do creates it. Most people are quick to abdicate responsibility, but great work experiences dont just magically appear out of thin air. They are created by people who are determined to make the choices that support the vision they have for themselves. Its everything from how you approach an individual task, to the way you interact with your coworkers, to the attitude and perspective that you bring with you to the office every day.

What I realized was that I couldnt control the other people in the organization, but I could control myself, my perspective, and my actions. That meant that even on the worst days, I could get a win because I could set the standard for what a win was. I wrote a mantra for myself that became my benchmark for success:

Act with integrity,

have compassion and empathy (even when others dont),

and be of service to people around you.

If I achieved those three things, I considered it a good day. Nothing else matterednot my boss throwing me under the bus or my coworker spreading gossip. Everything involved in meeting my standard was my form of zen. It was that laser-focus on what I could control that made the difference because as long as I had good days, all the nonsense didnt matter so much. And because I reduced my stress, I had enough energy left over to plan my escape route so that I could leave the toxic job and create the professional experience I wanted.

Zen Your Work will guide you through the process I discovered during my journey in a way that will empower anyone in any positionfrom entry level to executiveto create their ideal professional experience from the inside out. Its a guide to bridging the gap between where you are now and what will allow you to achieve the most professional happiness and success. Self-mastery is our goalthe art of accepting responsibility, understanding your innate working style, and discerning when and how to push outside of your comfort zone. Youll get there by learning to apply mindfulness techniques in a highly practical way to achieve your professional ambitions, create game-changing relationships (even with the most negative people in the office), decrease your stress, and enjoy improved work-life balance. This book isnt a recitation of academic studieseverything in it has been applied and tested in the real world. In my work today as an organizational psychologist and coach, Ive used these techniques with young professionals just out of college, mid-career professionals looking for that next big promotion, and seasoned executives who have tried all the traditional strategies. In every scenario, theyve been able to take these ideas, apply them immediately, and experience results.