I have just listed Mike’s bullet points, if you would like to read the whole article, here is the link.

I have added my own comments to each of the bullet points, for my twist on his ideas.

1. Don’t complain about your situation. Start figuring out how to adapt it.
* If your situation isn’t working out and you can’t adapt it the way you like, start looking for other ways to fix your situation, find a new job, ask for a transfer, etc

2. Map out how your interests could tie to your job.
* This is a good one. If you have no interests related to your job, it is time to find one that does.

3. Do some thinking on your own to imagine hidden opportunities.
* There are always hidden opportunities at a job, you just have to find out where to look.

4. Put your interests into the language of business.
* Find a way to make your job interesting, change up the layout of your office/cubicle if you can. A new outlook could simply be a redecorating opportunity!

5. Find like minded people.
* If you work with like minded people, you know your day will be less boring and possibly more productive!

6. Volunteer for smart opportunities even if they’re out of the spotlight.
* Any time you volunteer your time for something, it will be noticed by someone. Simple things like getting someone a coffee or making copies will not go unnoticed!

7. Begin doing even more.
* There is always more that needs to be done at work. If you have the time help someone out!

8. If it’s not working, don’t stick around and be miserable.
* This is one I can speak from experience on. I used to work somewhere and had a person who did everything they could to make my life miserable. I found a new job, and now my work life is so much more pleasant.

Even the introverts amongst us – myself included! – are social beings. It’s natural for us to pay attention to what other people might be thinking. The problem is, worrying about what other people think can lead us to take on too many commitments, deny our true goals and passions, settle for a life of “people-pleasing”.

On the other hand, paying no heed at all to how others might be thinking of us can lead to professional and personal relationships turning sour.

Here are some steps that’ll help you find a healthy balance.

Step 1: Pay Attention – But Don’t Worry
Worrying rarely gets you anywhere in life. Don’t spend time feeling unhappy or anxious about how others might be thinking of you. Try not to let your emotions cloud the issue here, and don’t spend time trying to “mind-read” other people.

You’re often your own worst critic – and frankly, most people have far too much on your minds to care whether you’re slightly over/under-dressed for a situation, for instance.

Step 2: Does Their Opinion Matter?
Stop caring what random strangers think of you. If you like to sing as you walk round your local park, and someone passing gives you a weird look – it really doesn’t matter. Their opinion isn’t going to affect you in any way.

The same goes for all sorts of situations. For example, a problem that many overweight people have when they’re trying to get in shape is that they’d like to go to the gym or to an exercise class, but they’re worried what people will think of them. Ask yourself “can what they think hurt me?” or “does their opinion matter?” until you feel confident enough to go ahead with what you want.

Step 3: Use the Feedback
If you get a negative reaction from a key figure in your life, like your boss, then pay attention. If your boss is fanatical about keeping a tidy desk and you couldn’t care less, it’s worth adjusting your behavior – especially if your boss scowls every time s/he sees your desk.

Don’t make assumptions about what other people are thinking, though: make sure you really do have evidence. In the absence of any real evidence, try assuming the best! For example, if someone sends you a rather curt email, assume that they were just in a hurry – don’t start worrying over whether they dislike you.

Step 4: Put Your Goals First
Perhaps you have very different goals to your family and friends. Perhaps you’re keen to get a great grade in school, but your friends think you should just join them in partying and having a laugh. It doesn’t really matter what they think: your goals should be more important than their opinion.

The same goes for all sorts of situations. Maybe you’ve ended up in a career you hate because it’s what your parents wanted you to do. Your goals should never be dictated by other people.

(If you don’t have any explicit goals, that might be why you’re prone to worrying about what other people think – because you don’t have your own plan for your life. You might want to read 11 Useful Tips on Setting Goals and Achieving Them.)

Step 5: Value Your Values
If other people scoff at your values, ignore them. Perhaps you’d like to read more about personal development and self-improvement, but you’re worried your friends would just laugh at you if they found out. Maybe you’re keen to do your best at work even when the boss is away – but everyone else thinks you’re an idiot for not joining them in slacking off.

Whatever the situation, make sure you’re holding tight to your values, rather than being swept along by other people’s. Many people will actually be impressed (even if they don’t say so) – because you’ve had the conviction to stick to what you believe is important.

Step 6: Remember That You Don’t Have to be Popular
(I personally need to always remember this one)
Life isn’t like high school: it doesn’t matter if you’re not popular. You can’t please everyone anyway – so don’t even try. Say “no” to commitments that you don’t want to take on. Be willing to do something that goes against the crowd, if it’s what you truly believe in.

Of course, there are a few people in life who you might want to be popular with – your spouse, your kids, and your boss, for example. But in general, most people’s opinions and thoughts about you are unlikely to have any real effect. Plus, if you behave as “yourself” and people don’t like you – would you really want them to be your friends anyway?

Part of pursuing a focused life of purpose may include an expansion of your perspective. Expanding your worldview may help you find your niche. Here are some ways to make your world a little larger.

* Host a foreign exchange student. Not only will you help make someone’s dream come true, you and your family will learn just as much as your host student, as you learn to communicate with each other and learn about his/her country’s customs.
* Eat local. Eat and buy locally grown food, or start to grow your own. The average North American sits down to eat, each ingredient has typically travelled at least 1,500 miles, according to CleanOurAir.com. Eating locally not only has health benefits, but will also take you one step closer to understanding the affect our choices have on the world around us.
* Volunteer. Nothing puts your problems in perspective faster than helping another with his/her problems. Volunteering is on the rise since the recession, and with the mounting economic needs, opportunities abound to make a difference in the life of someone else.
* Read the BBC. While it doesn’t have to be the BBC, reading a non-American source of news can help put our own news in context. Make sure the news you consume doesn’t only deal with what’s happening on our home turf, but the world around us.
* Hang out with people who don’t look like you. Many of us find it more comfortable to talk with and hang out with people who are like us – and look like us. If you don’t have a regular opportunity to befriend or at least have conversations with others who are from different ethnic backgrounds than yours, put yourself in situations that will. Take a free class from the library or visit a lecture or community event.
* Read a book or magazine you don’t think you’d be interested in. A mentor of mine once recommended buying a subscription to a certain news magazine and reading it from cover to cover – even the articles that didn’t interest me. This allowed me to widen my perspective on the world and introduced and educated me on topics I normally would seek information about.

When your mind expands, your circle of influence grows – allowing you to better affect change around you. Go for it!