I spend a lot of time at airports. And as glamorous as that sounds, it's not my preferred location. In fact, traveling is the part of my job that I like the least. What I like the most is being in the classroom helping people find ways to make their jobs and their lives easier.
What are the things you enjoy about your work?
What are the things you don't?
After I identified what I liked and what I didn't, I set out to discover how I could enjoy the things I like the least, more.
I choose to focus on the benefits. If I didn't travel, I'd miss those 'ah-ha' moments in the workshops; I'd miss the chance to have great personal interactions with interesting people.
I choose to take time to enjoy the location I'm traveling to. It's really fun to have a coffee or dinner with someone in the city I'm visiting.
And I choose my attitude about airports. When I travel now, I assume the flight will be delayed or late and make sure my laptop is juiced up so I can work anywhere. I've turned that downtime into productive time so that when I get home, I can relax with my family instead.
Give it a whirl and see how it works for you. What's the thing you don't like to do and how can you change your attitude or approach to that thing? As Stephen Covey reminds us, we are less stressed when we focus on the things that are in our control.