The Inner Boss

The
Inner
Boss

Someone once said;
"It takes a Genius to state the obvious!"

Think of Columbus’ “The World is Round”,
Newton’s “What goes up, must come down”,
or
Madonna’s “Sex Sells”.

It sounds simple when you say it, but it could take
years of exploration, an apple conking you on the head, or wearing your ungodly underwear around in public to come up with it. As for us, it was a simple look in the mirror that led us to realize the obvious:

YOU ARE YOUR OWN BOSS!

“Big deal!”, you say. “So I’m my own boss? That still doesn’t let me sign my own paycheck”.

You’re right, it doesn’t. But by helping you tap what we call your “Inner Boss”, you’ll soon find yourself infused with the ability to actually enjoy your daily grind. You’ll be amazed what a boost you’ll get from finally working for somebody who knows what the hell they’re doing -- YOU!

First off, let’s look at what a boss does. Well, besides making more money than you for doing less work, besides knowing less about their job than the guy who delivers the bottled water, besides waking up every morning and driving to work thinking up new and interesting ways of making your life about as much fun as a “P.J. Party” at Siegfried and Roys’... What do they do, exactly?

What a boss was supposed to do, if we go way back to the moment God created them (somewhere between creating mildew and prickly heat) is to serve as sort of a workplace “Conductor”. To “orchestrate” his employees into a smooth, tight harmony. In the beginning, bosses were intended to help you to do your best. To offer helpful guidance and constructive feedback. To “be there” for you in times of need, listen carefully to your suggestions and advice, and to encourage you to advance by rewarding you well when you do good.

WHAT? THAT'S A BOSS ??
WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED ?

As we said, this is the way bosses were SUPPOSED to be when God created them. But that was a long, long, time ago, and unfortunately time has a way of turning things to crap. Besides, after God saw what a mess Bosses made of his grand scheme, he walked away shaking his head in disgust and turned his attention to creating more important things... like dental suction devices.

But, you’ve got to admit, the original idea of a boss was a pretty good one. And by now you’re probably thinking... “Gee, if that’s what my boss was like, my life would be a walk in the park.”

Ahh. Now you’re catching on. You see, if you create that perfect boss INSIDE YOURSELF -- an INNER BOSS -- then you WILL have that nice walk in the park after all... With plenty of bread to feed the pigeons.

Start easy. Make a list of the things you want to accomplish in your job. Is it just enough to get through the day without being yelled at? Do you want to rise in the ranks? Is there one special project that you’d like to see actually go from “bright idea” to completion?

Well, jot it down. Then ask yourself, “what are the different ways I can accomplish this?”

No matter how crazy, how impossible it sounds, don’t be afraid to map your ideas and goals out on paper, the way you would planning for a cross country trip.

As for the negative side... heck... come on. None of us are perfect, and although we’ll never admit it to anyone, we do mess up. So first admit your mistakes to yourself, then look for ways of improving them. And write them down!

We’ve all got a real sweet tooth for compliments and rewards and other nice little mind candies, but we can damn well starve waiting for some walrus-butt of a boss to tell us good things. So don’t wait. Set goals within yourself, and reward YOURSELF for success. A little pat on your own back. Maybe drop a few coins in an ashtray so you can buy yourself a little special treat for a job well done. Or just celebrate by taking a moment to REALLY enjoy the warm rush of satisfaction that comes from getting the job done right.

In other words, guide your own path. Push, punish and reward yourself in the sanctity of your own mind. Make that the boss you respect. It’s the most important one you have.

Besides learning how to encourage yourself, to hone in on your goals, to criticize yourself for your mistakes and correcting them -- probably the most beneficial advantage of the INNER BOSS mindset is that this boss goes home with you.

Okay-okay, we know that the thought of your boss sitting in your living room in their Fruit-of-the-Looms eating Cheez-Whiz on a Ritz is a terrifying concept. But remember. We’re not talking about your real boss. This is the Inner Boss. They’re not controlling you. You’re controlling them. And it’s off the job where our Inner Boss is really put to the test.

Surveys have shown that that 73.5% of all workers bring their “work” home with them. Not that they literally work at home, but that they don’t know how to disconnect their working world from their personal one. They continue to worry, to fester, to complain about their work, even when they’re free from it. And of that group, a shocking 43% stated that they had absolutely no “extracurricular activities” outside their work!

The side-effects of living your life without ever escaping your job are not pretty. First off, you create the “tunnelvision syndrome”. Without any “reality check” to gauge your existence, you believe that there is no world outside of your workplace. And because of this, any small problem or minor hitch is magnified literally to global proportions. Worse yet, you begin to believe that your very happiness, your very sanity -- yes -- even your very life depends on the goings on at work.

Without outside interests, other escapes, your job will spin you up in a dangerously suffocating cocoon.

Leaving you only one release: EXPLODING!!

Once you can your bring your Inner Boss home with you, the chances of breaking out of this dilemma are made much easier. Make one of your main goals to improve the quality of your personal life.

Lose the couch potato hooked on “Knightrider” reruns and let your “Inner Boss” drag you out into the cool night air. Get involved in activities that will nourish your mind and body.

Join a gym, take up painting, learn the two-step, sign up for a soft-ball team, golf, go bowling, coach pee-wee soccer, go trap shooting! Many disciples of their “Inner Boss” have even found joy in a second job, either for pay or by volunteering. How ‘bout teaching kids to read, or to play football, or take them out on field trips to enrich their own lives?

Now no one expects you to hurry home after work, grab a quick bite, change your clothes and hit the streets as the second coming of Mother Teresa. Lots of you have other responsibilities. Even if you’re single, there’re a million “errands of life” you have to run.

And for those of you who are married with kids, we know how hard it is getting things done especially when both parents are working. Must seem downright overwhelming for all you hard working single parents out there. None of you think you have the time to get any control over your personal life, let alone changing the world! We know that.

But by utilizing that “Inner Boss” to force you to seek out other adventures in your life -- to kick your backside out of the deep rut you’ve carved for yourself through years of misfocused priorities, you’ll be amazed how quickly you’ll improve your health, your mind, your sanity... and even your job performance.

Want to see how others have put their
INNER BOSS to work for them??
Check out our Most Recent "Inner Winner"

Continue Guided Tour of STICKING IT TO YOUR BOSS!

Back to Part One Directory

Part One
Physiological Differences | Common Boss Ailments
Employer Aptitude Test
Bonehead Bosses | Don't Fear the Inferior!
OFF THE BOSS - The TV Show!

Part Two
The Tire Iron Story | The Bag Lady Effect | Tap a Boss' Brain
Send Your Boss an OFF THE BOSS Postcard!
Get The Goods
Your Certificate of Completion | The Credits

E-Mail us at mail1@offtheboss.com