‘Work Utopia’ is Not an Oxymoron…

"Once we get our own attitudes in check, we can start looking at some of the outer workplace systems that could do with a little...tweaking."

Not unlike “jumbo shrimp” or “friendly hamster,” the term “work utopia” may seem like an oxymoron. But it’s not. Or at least it doesn’t have to be. There are multiple ways our work could be transformed from a ho-hum drag to a happy place where we actually enjoy where we are, what we’re doing, and who we’re doing it with.

I know, I know. In a true utopia, you say, we wouldn’t have to work at all. We’d all be free to run around naked in a field full of daisies under the shimmering (but not too hot) sun. I’d be the first one joining you, for sure. But the way the world is set up at the moment, work is the most honest way to make the money we are forced to need to live.

So we can either make the best of it or turn into one of those scowling coworkers who never gets invited to baby showers and barbecues. I vote for making the best of it. And even though we might not want to hear or admit it, all that happy-place stuff starts with our very own attitudes.

Instead of complaining about whatever job or task we currently have in front of us, why not look for one thing that’s wonderful about it. Or at least not horrible. One thing. That’s it.

Maybe we get to flex our creative muscles. Help someone who needs it. Learn something we didn’t know two minutes ago. Or perhaps the end result is the ultimate prize. A cleared-out inbox. A finished project. A regular paycheck. The lavender-scented salt bath that awaits upon returning home.

When you show up to work embracing gratitude and service–instead of stress and crankiness–things get done so much better and faster. And you may actually have fun doing them.

Once we get our own attitudes in check, we can start looking at some of the outer workplace systems that could do with a little…tweaking. You know the ones. The systems that seem born to twist us into that aforementioned stress and crankiness even before the first morning coffee break.

One would be to do away with micromanagement. Whether it’s with tracking software for remote workers or sour-breathed managers breathing down necks at in-office desks, micromanagement stinks. It also stifles the creative flow.

Replace hawk-like monitoring with trust and freedom. Look at the end result–like the incredible finished project–rather than picking at the 965 mini-steps along the way. This is not to say certain projects don’t need to follow certain protocols, but it is to say that most people work much better when you give them the benefit of a brain to get the job done.

While we’re at it, why not chase away the hawks and hierarchy altogether? Instead of sticking with the outdated system of people at the top who yell at people in the middle who yell at people at the bottom–why not transform the entire workplace structure?

Instead of having different levels of people piddling about for paltry paychecks, why not invite people in to actually be part of the organization or company. Give them a stake in it. Make the workplace a community-owned enterprise where everyone contributes to the greater whole.

There is no top or bottom here. Just a united group working together to fulfill whatever mission and vision comes with the job. Instead of a single person always calling the shots, implement a rotating manager system.

Everyone routinely gets a chance at the helm, sharing their ideas, guidance and joy. Heck, it’s a lot easier to be joyful when there’s no sour-breath micromanager huffing and puffing down your neck.

Movement and growth are musts in any environment if people are expected to thrive. As is downtime. This digital-world chaos has helped throw us into overdrive, where nothing seems to be turned off, ever.

Instead of shuttling people into work, work, work from the minute they walk in the door, why not start the day with a Reiki meditation session? Offering regular mental health and spiritual workshops, mental decompression time, and a soothing physical environment would also make the workplace a much more peaceful place.

And we’re talking more than a few houseplants in the lobby. No cubicles. Lots of sunlight. Plush ergonomic chairs and couches. Free coffee, tea and healthy foods as desired. Cutting the system down to a four-day workweek would also help tons, as would paying people what they deserve.

As long as we’re doing our best and honest work, we all deserve wages that we can live on. As we bring more love, light, joy and skills to the table, wages should be adjusted accordingly. The more you bring to the organization, the more you should receive. The more money an organization generates, the more everyone gets paid.

But workplace utopia is about much more than making money. In fact, one of the highest-paying jobs I ever had made me want to jump out of a seventh-story Madison Avenue window. Daily. I also recall walking around the block, again and again, just to delay how quickly I had to go be chained behind a desk.

We need to throw off the workplace chains. Unhook the outdated shackles. Let people come into the workplace to share their brilliance – not be treated as workhorses.

Until we can transform the overall world system where running naked amongst daisies is the only thing on our to-do list, workplace work seems to be a requirement. And making it work beautifully could happen with the right attitude, the right treatment, and certainly the right balance of work, rest and play.

Ryn Gargulinski is an award-winning author, artist, speaker and Reiki master who lives for lavender-scented salt baths. As founder of Sanctuary of the Wild Souls, she helps people unleash their full power and potential by teaching them how to attain and maintain higher states of consciousness. More at WildSS.com.