Jim Donovan - Happy at Work: 60 Simple Ways to Stay Engaged and Be Successful

Handbook to a Happier Life is great! It is brief, easy to read, practical, and filled with useful exercises for making positive changes. This little book should be a part of everyones self-help library.

Jack Canfield, coauthor of Chicken Soup for the Soul

Jim Donovans Handbook to a Happier Life is delicious and delightful! Jim has taken the best ingredients of life and shown us how we can combine them into just the recipe we need to help us create a fulfilling life.

Wally Amos, author of The Cook Never Crumbles

How often do you hear really good ideas time after time and fail to act on them? Then, that same idea comes to you one more time, and that time you act on it, and you wonder what took you so long. What was it about Donovans life planning book that enabled me to do what Ive failed at many other times? Perhaps its the read, think, and write format. These thoughtful exercises are all about you and where you want to go.

Barbara Garro, writer, Business Talk

Ive read many self-help and self-improvement books but Handbook to a Happier Life is simply the best.

John Kiple, business executive

A delight! First-rate, proven concepts, supported with personal experiences and presented in bite-size chunks that anyone can use.

Emmet Robinson, author of How to Prosper in Business, Regardless of the Economy

happy@work

Handbook to a Happier Life (New World Library, 2003)

Take Charge of Your Destiny (Austin Bay, 2005)

Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck (Austin Bay, 2008)

Dont Let an Old Person Move into Your Body (Austin Bay, 2010)

52 Ways to a Happier Life (Tremendous Life Books, 2011)

What Are You Waiting For? Its Your Life (Sound Wisdom, 2013)

Copyright 2014 by Jim Donovan

All rights reserved. This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, or other without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review.

Text design by Tona Pearce Myers

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Donovan, Jim, [date].

Happy at work : 60 simple ways to stay engaged and be successful / Jim Donovan.

pages cm

ISBN 978-1-60868-250-8 (pbk. : alk. paper) ISBN 978-1-60868-251-5 (ebook)

1. Job satisfaction. 2. Quality of work life. I. Title.

HF5549.5.J63D66 2014

First printing, April 2014

ISBN 978-1-60868-250-8

Printed in the USA on 100% postconsumer-waste recycled paper

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

For God and the angels, who have watched over and protected me and are the inspiration for everything I write

I want to especially acknowledge the two Georgias in my life. First Id like to thank my wife, Georgia, who has supported my writing from the very beginning and who has been by my side through it all. In addition to her support, her knowledge and experience in the upper levels of corporate management have been my sanity check throughout the writing of this book.

Georgia Hughes, editorial director at New World Library (NWL), has been my friend and champion since my first book and has made it possible for me to be published by NWL. Words cannot express the gratitude and appreciation I have for her continued support.

Id also like to thank:

Marc Allen, publisher at NWL and one of the most honorable and supportive people in publishing. His willingness to publish Handbook to a Happier Life began what is now a ten-year relationship between us. Thank you, Marc.

Of course, all the amazing staff at New World Library. You are a class act.

Art director Tracy Cunningham and production director Tona Pearce Myers: Thank you for this fantastic cover and overall design. I am proud to have my name on such a great-looking book.

Managing editor Kristen Cashman, copy editor Mimi Kusch, and assistant editor Jonathan Wichmann: Its great having such a great team. Many thanks.

Publicists Monique Muhlenkamp and Kim Corbin: Without you, no one would know about this book. I am so appreciative of being able to work with you.

My longtime friend and mastermind partner Art (Ski) Swiatkowski for helping me stay on track, holding me accountable, and, most of all, being my friend and living the dream.

W hats your definition of success? Does it simply mean making a lot of money? Perhaps to you success means achieving a goal at any cost.

Heres my point, dear reader: Lets say your goal is to become a vice president of a big company. After many years of intense stress, worry, and an avalanche of emotional, mental, and physical overload, you finally achieve your goal, along with all the wealth and prestige that come with it. Is this success? If you consult a dictionary, the answer would be yes. Websters Dictionary defines successes as follows: 1. The favorable or prosperous termination of attempts or endeavors. 2. The attainment of wealth, position, honors, or the like. I think its amazing that the word happy or happiness is not included in the definition of the word success. Unfortunately, our conventional definition of success is simply achieving the goal. Not enough emphasis is placed on the value of experiencing the journey, building character, and learning life lessons along the way.

The truth is, it really doesnt matter how much money you have, or how famous you are, or how many goals youve achieved. It makes no difference how big your house is or what industry accolades youve racked up in your career. The entire world can view your life as the ultimate success story, but the bottom line is this: if you are not happy, you are not successful! If you are not enjoying yourself on your journey toward your goal, youre ripping yourself off. Trust me. There are enough people willing to do that for you.

That is why I love this book! Happy@Work reminds us that success and happiness are synonymous, but only if you choose to live your life accordingly. Jim Donovan reveals valuable intangibles that most people dont consider as important criteria of leading a happy and successful life, both professionally and personally.

Whether you are in sales, service, education, health care, or any other business, this book is written for you. Its a wake-up call that makes you realize that life is based on the choices you make. You are the master of your destiny. And you can succeed while enjoying the process regardless of your circumstances.

Why should you read this book and buy a copy for someone you know? Because its filled with wonderful, out-of-the-box ideas and strategies that will take you to a better place not only in business but in life. In my view, thats the ultimate success.