Cravings that kill your happiness

Avoid workplace “ice cream” and take back control [Image](https://) Greetings Everyday Spy, Satisfaction in the workplace isn't hard to find. People just get distracted by meaningless cravings. When I was a nuclear-armed officer, I wasn’t exactly thrilled with sitting in an underground bunker waiting for WW III to break out. But working with nuclear weapons teaches you to build what you want instead of waiting to see what you get. If you’re craving satisfaction from what the top brass doles out to you, don’t be surprised when you go home every night feeling like crap. Let me explain it this way: Think back on that last time you had a food craving. For me, the strongest cravings are always for ice cream. My ice cream craving got the best of me in 2002 when I first traveled to China. If you have ever traveled to East Asia, you know not to trust any food that is kept cold or frozen. You never know how old it is, how many times it has been thawed and refrozen, or whether the ice used to pack it was contaminated. I had to learn the hard way that cravings don’t really satisfy. It cost me two nights in a cold sweat and about 1,600 Chinese yuan. I spent many years traveling to and from China. Every time I arrived in Beijing, my ice cream craving would rear its ugly head. I would wake up wanting ice cream, work all day thinking about my favorite flavors, and get more and more frustrated every night because I couldn’t satisfy my craving. Frustrated, but healthy. So by avoiding common “cravings” at work, [you can focus more on what best serves you.]( Your job is not what you are building. It just happens to be what you are doing right now. Our culture has conditioned us to believe that we are defined by our work; by our salary; by our title. As a result, we set ourselves up to be constantly unsatisfied. Because there will always be more work, higher pay, and grander titles out there. We are all craving ice cream in China. And what happens when we get what we are craving? We end up with a bellyache. Working and building are two different things. One is endless, and the other unending. Here’s an easy way to judge your current level of job satisfaction: Set an alarm on your phone to go off 2-3 times while you’re at work. Do a status check each time. Jot down how you’re feeling, your energy level, and your stress level. Are you bored? Does it feel like time is dragging? [Checking in with yourself during your workday is a huge eye-opener.]( Do this for a full week. Then review your notes at the end of the week. You’ll easily see whether you’re enjoying building something. Or if you’re just hoping for handouts to satisfy cravings for recognition Godspeed, #EverydaySpy P.S. It’s easy to get complacent in a soul-crushing job while the years tick away. Status checks will quickly snap you out of your trance. Using this and other CIA tactics at work can [increase your lifetime earnings by 700% (or more!) and create an unbreakable financial legacy.]( Andrew Bustamante, Founder of EverydaySpy.com, is a former covert CIA Intelligence officer, decorated US Air Force Combat Veteran, and respected Fortune 500 senior advisor. Learn more from Andrew on his Podcast (The EverydaySpy Podcast) and by following @EverydaySpy on your favorite social media platform. This email was sent to {EMAIL}. Don't want to receive these emails anymore? [Unsubscribe]( EverydaySpy, 411 Walnut St. #20309, Green Cove Springs, FL 32043