Business success without the sweat

Psychologist Richard Carlson makes a name for himself telling people not to "sweat."

He gave us the bestseller "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff," and now he's back with advice on the job in, what else, "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff at Work" (Hyperion).

People, he says, are courageous when it comes to tough issues - pink slips, pay cuts, and long hours. But they tend to fall apart over the little stuff.

Don't.

"It's never in your best interest to sweat about anything," advises Mr. Carlson, who bristles at being called a Pollyanna.

That means don't sweat deadlines (Rule No. 4 in the book), a demanding boss (Rule 14), or negative co-workers (Rule 78).

Part of the problem is that endless worry about minor details has become synonymous with high achiever, says Carlson, who garners his wisdom from Buddhism to the Bible.

"There's a [false] perception that if you worry a lot and look really busy and act really stressed out ... that that is somehow feeding into your success," he says.

Carlson's top five rules for success

1. Dare to be happy.

2. Become less controlling

3. Eliminate the rat race mentality.

4. Don't dramatize deadlines.

5. Have some "no phone" time at work.

Next in his "don't sweat" series: a book about love.

*Visit Richard Carlson's Web site at www.dontsweat.com