Wonolo
The upside to being a Wonoloer is that you are your own boss; you decide the jobs you want to take and when you want to take them. However, for some, the downside to being your own boss is that you can often find yourself in a vacuum, with no one around to provide feedback and remind you of the value of what you’re doing. And, while many Wonolo Requestors are effusive in their appreciation for the work put in by Wonoloers, if you need to add a little positive reinforcement to your own work style, just follow these tips:
Focus On The Big Picture
If you find yourself getting down while on the job, step back for a moment and remind yourself why you’re there. While what you’re doing today may only be a one day or one-week gig, keep your eye on the prize and constantly remember that today’s Wonolo gig is another step toward your end goal and every subsequent job you accept is another step forward. By constantly looking forward, you’ll always be able to look back and see the progress you’ve made toward your goal. Seeing that progress will help you reinforce a positive attitude toward the jobs you’re accepting.
Give Yourself Short Term Goals And Incentives To Reach Them
There is no better way to give yourself positive reinforcement than to set a short term goal and reward yourself when you reach it. If the big picture payoff is still a ways down the road, setting an interim goal or goals, and rewarding yourself when you reach them, is a good way to provide positive reinforcement to what you’re doing.
Those goals can be things like working six gigs in a week, 25 over the course of a month, or hitting a specific earnings goal. Then, when you hit that goal, reward yourself with a day doing what you enjoy, a nice dinner, buying that special something you’ve had your eye on, or simply a little gold star to mark another achievement as you move toward your big picture goal. Once you hit one goal and enjoy the reward, set another one and set the bar a little higher. Make your goals, and your rewards, personal, then acknowledge your own accomplishment as you hit each one. Having that metaphorical carrot on a stick in front of you will keep you pushing forward and remind of you of all the positive things you’ve done along the way.
Have A Positive Attitude
It seems obvious and it sounds like a self-help cliché, but it’s true; if you approach something with a positive attitude, you’re more likely to enjoy what you’re doing, while you’re doing it, and you’ll walk away with a positive impression when you’re done. Beyond your attitude, look for the positives in what you’re doing rather than the negatives. If you receive criticism on a job or a Requestor’s rating you weren’t happy with, focus on what you can improve moving forward rather than what you didn’t go well in the past. Being happy and proactive about your work will help you enjoy what you’re doing more, make the day go faster, give you a greater sense of accomplishment, and provide more mental positive reinforcement for a job well done.
Share It
Once you’ve incorporated positive reinforcement in your own work style, don’t be afraid to share it and provide positive reinforcement to others. Whether it’s another Wonoloer, a Requestor’s employee, or even a server on your lunch break, a simple bit of encouragement, a smile, a thank you, a compliment, a little extra tip, or the metaphorical pat on the back for a job well done can go a long way to helping them have a positive attitude too.
Just remember to be genuine in your praise or positive reinforcement, and who knows? The positive reinforcement you provide to someone else could make their day a little easier too, and that’s one more accomplishment you can focus on as you keep looking forward.
For most Wonoloers, the power to work the jobs you want, when you want, makes Wonolo a “good job.” But, if you can incorporate positive reinforcement into your work style, then you can kick your attitude, and your productivity, into high gear, and you’ll be able to tell yourself “good job,” every day.
