What do you think of when you hear Groundhog Day? For me, I think of Bill Murray and Punxsutawney Phil from the famous 1993 movie. The movie is classic and I give it two thumbs up (aren't we all film critics at heart?). For those of you who have never seen Groundhog Day or need a refresher, here's the quick plot from Wikipedia:
Self-centered and sour TV meteorologist Phil Connors (Bill Murray), producer Rita (Andie MacDowell), and cameraman Larry (Chris Elliott) from fictional Pittsburgh television station WPBH-TV9 travel to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania to cover the annual Groundhog Day festivities with Punxsutawney Phil. Having grown tired of this assignment, the small town, and his crew, Phil grudgingly gives his report and attempts to return to Pittsburgh when a blizzard (which he predicted would miss the area) shuts down the main roads. Phil and his team are forced to stay in town an extra day.
Phil wakes up to find that he is reliving February 2. The day plays out exactly as it did before, with no one else aware of the time loop, and only Phil aware of past events... Read more
Do you work with people who are not aware of the time loop they are in? Is your job like Groundhog Day, where you do the same thing over and over? Now you can stop being like Phil Connors and avoid living your life like the movie Groundhog Day. Here are a few fun tips for shaking up the routine:
- Mix up your office space – Spin your keyboard and monitor around and sit on the front side of your desk. Put your garbage pail on the other side of you. Change the position of all your pictures. Turn your name tag upside down.
- Take a different route to work – Don't drive directly to the office. Instead, go the long way, take streets that don't make sense or drive up and down the block a few times. Just leave a few minutes earlier and cruise.
- Alter the lunch menu – What kind of food never occurs to you? Eat that! Do any local restaurants serve Swedish Meatballs or Buffalo Burgers?
- Flip your personality – Just for the day, behave the total opposite of your normal personality. If you are a bit ornery, be extra sweet to your colleagues. If you typically drive hard, be chilled and laid back all day.
- Visit strangers – Make some new friends. Simply get up and start walking around. Find people you don't know (at your company or other tenants in the building). Say things like "Hi, happy Groundhog Day!" Then, see where the conversation goes from there (don't expect too much, these people are strangers after all.)
I think you get the point. This time of year, work can be a bit of a grind. It's up to us to break the pattern and avoid the doldrums of corporate life. You don't have to operate on autopilot. On the contrary, you can have a little bit of fun during the day. So come on, be whacky and be more playful. There's no better day than Groundhog Day to start mixing it up! I mean, why not?
Playfully,
Bill Ross
The Office Toy Guy
OfficeToyGuy@OfficePlayground.com
www.OfficePlayground.com
We help you play on company time.
Image courtesy of Melissa.
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