Posted by Have you ever felt envious of someone at work? But immediately felt bad and tried to move past the unnecessary feeling? Yup, we’ve all been through that stage at some point while busy climbing up our career ladder. Although you should never let the feeling of envy consume you and affect how you treat another person, it is rather important for your career development. There are ways how envy can help you thrive at work.
Envy is often deemed shameful and unnecessary, but it is also a type of superpower that leads to impactful decision-making and helps us make better choices. Wouldn’t you agree? Thus whenever you feel envy slowly kicking in, think of it as a sign that you need to improve on the things that you are lacking.
It’s okay to admit it
Once you can identify where the bitter pangs of envy are coming from, admitting it will likely decrease your stress and help you choose how to respond upon feeling envious in the first place. As you’re working to come to terms with it, it is best to try to make sense of the situation, rather than dwelling on the negative feelings.
Seek the truth
We always tend to compare ourselves to others. Hence, seeking the truth by identifying what’s the cause of it is one way how envy can help you thrive at work. What does your colleague have that you wish you had? Does your colleague just received the promotion that you were silently hoping for? Or is he well-respected in the company? Or is his salary higher than yours when both of you have the same job responsibilities?
Execute a plan
Another way on how envy can help you thrive at work is after identifying the root cause of it, you execute a plan and start taking actions. How do you ask? Think of extra classes to enhance your skills even further, or ask the person that you’re jealous of to be your mentor instead. Whatever it is, go and make it happen!
Always be grateful
After doing everything that you possibly could, it is time for a quick “pick me up” moment. If you feel like envy is consuming your entire positive being, do some self-reflect and find at least three things that you’re grateful for. Remember that someone else would kill for all the opportunities and the good things that you have. So take a breather, do some self-credit and turn those unnecessary envy into something worthy for you to thrive at work.
Never a day goes by without us comparing ourselves with someone deemed as “better” in our daily life, correct? Spare yourself the heartache and avoid pushing yourself too hard. We’re in this together! Share with us your thoughts in the comment section below. Follow Jobstore.com to unveil your next job opportunity.
Nurin Eznieka is a digital content writer who writes about lifestyle, tips and tricks, including career-related contents both in Malay and English languages. Nurin is a foodie who enjoys food hunting and cafe hopping during her free time.
Reach me at: nurin@jobstore.com