Take Advice If You Solicit It

More from the book Don't Sweat the Small Stuff at Work by Richard Carlson:

* When You Solicit Advice, Consider Taking It - When seeking counsel, do not dismiss the advice you are given. Listen carefully and if it's good advice, consider taking it

* Take Advantage of Your Commute - If you spend a lot of time commuting, make sure you spend the time wisely. Listen to audio tapes

* Let Go of Battles that Cannot Be Won - Fighting battles that cannot be won will only give you stress, waste your time, and expend your energy. Learn to differentiate between the battles worth fighting for and the ones that you should let go

* Think of Stress and Frustration as Distractions to Your Success - You do not need stress to be successful. On the contrary, stress is an obstacle that can inhibit your ability to stay focused and to think clearly. Rather, remind yourself that stressful feelings will not help you

* Accept the Fact that There's Almost Always Going to Be Someone Mad at You - You can't please everyone. Accept this fact of life and you will find peace

* Don't Let Your Own Thoughts Stress You Out - Don't allow your thoughts to overcome you and make you lose sense of reality. It is best not to take some of your thoughts too seriously

* Make Allowances for Incompetence - Face it. Some people are incompetent. Don't take it personally and don't allow this fact to get you down. Don't allow yourself to lose your cool

* Don't Be Too Quick to Comment - Think before you speak. Refrain from giving unnecessary and counterproductive comments.

* Let Go of "Personality Clashes" - Learn to accept that most of the time, you won't be able to choose the people you work with. You must respect other people's differences and not allow other people's personalities to affect you negatively

* Don't Get Stressed by the Predictable - Learn to deal with predictable stressful situations. Make allowances for the inevitable and you will eliminate a lot of stress