Finding Enjoyment Through Work

How do you define your success (not just your company’s role guide and KPI’s)? What are your aspirations at work? Keeping your job? Higher salary? A promotion? Employee recognition? Maybe you have joined the FIRE movement and want an early retirement so you can enjoy life?

Now that a global pandemic has been with us for over a year now, many lives have changed as we have lived in fear of a deadly and invisible enemy virus. Millions have been impacted and lost loved ones, jobs, and income stability. Perhaps your life has been turned upside down by working remotely and caring for children or elderly parents that have sheltered in place. 

Has social distancing left you with a social deficit where you wish for simpler, ‘back to normal’ times when you could go to the movies, shopping malls, restaurants, gyms, sporting events, and performances? Are you forever chasing that elusive dream of achieving work-life balance nirvana? I have given a lot of thought to these questions myself, and I have reached several conclusions about how you can find enjoyment in life through work, flow, and purpose.

You Are in Control

WHAT IS ARBEJDSGL?DE?

Arbejdsgl?de is a Danish word which means happiness at work. Arbejde meaning work and gl?de meaning joy or happiness. It is simply feeling good about the work you do, liking what you do and feeling happy to go to work. This word for workplace happiness only exists in Scandinavia. Hmm… why is that? Let us bring this concept into your lexicon.

Perspective

What really matters to you? Family and friends? Health? Safety? Experiences like travel and entertainment?

Ask yourself, “Why do you work”? You probably answered that you work so that you can provide for yourself and your loved ones what really matters. It probably isn’t more ‘Stuff’, as George Carlin has made us shamefully aware in his classic comedy stand-up routine.

If you are in pursuit of material possessions, social status, or seeking recognition from others, then take some time for self-examination and ask yourself, “Why?”. I recently read The Laws of Human Nature by Robert Geene as I went through some personal exercises to understand these questions (about the purpose of my life) for myself. It was inspirational. It provided me insights about why people behave the way they do, and why it is so hard to work with people and find common purpose. Billy Currington sings, People Are Crazy… Well, so are you! So am I! – I have learned a lot about myself, and it’s not all pretty. We all have an inner dark shadow that can be used for good, or regrettably not so good. If you think it is easy to understand and change your perspective, then think again. It is a life long journey to unpack all the unconscious baggage that you have collected, and it takes effort and introspection.

Attitude

You cannot control who your boss is, and you cannot control your company’s toxic corporate culture. You cannot control how others think, but you can control how you perceive the world around you and how you respond to it. If you can find clarity about what really matters to you, then you can begin to focus your energy on taking positive actions that lead to better outcomes.

One of my favorite non-fiction books of all time is Working by Studs Terkel. Louis “Studs” Terkel was a great American author, historian, actor, and broadcaster of his time. His book captures stories of workers in Chicago in the late 1960s. Men and women from every walk of life talk to him, telling him their likes and dislikes, fears, problems, and happiness on the job. It is an interesting compilation of how people either found joy or misery in their occupation. The results are surprisingly counter intuitive. Although making money is important to avoid the misery of poverty, there is a weak correlation to wealth and happiness. Yes, wealthy people are generally happier than poor people, but there are a lot of miserable rich people, and there are plenty of gracious working-class people, with problems that they manage with strength of character and maturity. Their differences relate less on status, and they have a lot more to do with perspective and attitude. This comes naturally for some people. Others less fortunate, like myself, need to consciously work on it each and every day.

The best way to find joy through work is described by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in his book, Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. He describes flow as “a state of complete immersion in an activity. While in this mental state, people are completely involved and focused on what they are doing.” It is a feeling that Time Stands Still (shout out to Neil Peart, Geddy Lee, and Alex Lifeson of Rush).

Mozart experienced flow in writing his compositions. Leonardo da Vinci found it in art, science, innovation, and many other aspects of his life. I remember my first feeling of flow when playing high school sports. Time literally stood still in my mind while on a soccer field in North Florida. Later in my professional career I have felt it during intense times of concentration, although these periods seem like fleeting moments that are too few and far between. Flow is a positive force. Musicians, writers, athletes, and scientists have famously reported this elusive state of mind where they derive passion in what they do. However, all of us are capable of this whether you are a chef, accountant, mechanic, gardener, florist, teacher, detective, or actuary. Your mission is to find flow in your work, interests and in your hobbies every day. This will grant you happiness.

Life-long learning

Bring out your inner child. Be curious, be happy. Do you remember how exciting things were the first time you experienced something? Remember When (Alan Jackson)? Your first kiss, your first goal, your first passing grade, your first-born child, your first slice of pizza. Do you remember? How did you feel?

Learn to master new skills to make you more marketable and resilient in your career. Learn new skills to make you a more well-rounded human being whether it is cooking, playing an instrument, writing a novel, or practicing martial arts. Enjoy the journey of learning, and the achievements and success will follow, sometimes in unexpected ways as new possibilities unfold. What could be better than the marriage of your profession and your hobby? It’s a dream come true!

Let others inspire you, whether it is Marie Kondo for organizing and beautifying your home, exploring Europe with Rick Steves, or your favorite up and coming YouTuber on a myriad of topics. I have always been amazed by the stories that Huell Howser shared on his TV show, California’s Gold. That guy could make watching the grass grow or drying paint appear interesting because he had a talent for looking at things with the wonder and spirit of a curious child. Gaahwlee!

Make Your Plan

The following is a work in progress that I’m sharing with you. Dennis DeYoung wrote the song Don’t Wait for Heroes when he began a solo career after leaving the band he founded, Styx. His message still rings true: “Winners are losers that got up and gave it just one more try”.

Stop Doing These Things

1.      Comparing yourself to others

2.      Sacrificing what matters most

3.      Blaming others and complaining

4.      Sabotaging your relationships

5.      Financing debt for things you don’t need

6.      Avoiding short-term pain and feeding addictive behaviors that would otherwise yield long-term gains

Do More of These Things

1.      Be authentic

2.      Believe in yourself (I Won't Back Down, hail Tom Petty)

3.      Trust your intuition

4.      Invest in yourself (e.g., reading, learning, exercise, nutrition, rest, and recreation)

5.      Be present and live in the moment and delay gratification

6.      Express gratitude

7.      Seek new experiences and opportunities (even if they scare you)

8.      Find reward in helping and inspiring others

9.      Take responsibility in finding your path (because your university or employer will not)

10.  Connect with people, animals and nature for perspective and spirituality

Final Thoughts

You may feel a stronger connection to scientists or mathematicians or scholars or authors or leaders from hundreds of years ago than you do to your next-door neighbor. You may have colleagues on other continents that understand your thoughts and ideas better than your family or closest childhood friends. Learn from them and let them inspire you. Find perspective in your work that brings you enjoyment and a sense of purpose.

History, music, literature, and media defines our generations and who we are as much as the occupations we have or the technology we use.  I have included many references that have made relevant impressions on me. There are so many more than stated here (like Jimmy Buffett’s, What if the Hokey Pokey is All it Really is About?). Is this a cosmic joke? I hope not.  I hope at least a few of these have struck a chord with you and have helped me to connect with and inspire you too. It’s a Long Way to the Top if You Want to Rock and Roll (AC/DC). Rock on!

About me

I am a life-long student of Work. I grew up in middle-class communities in the US Mid-West, where people were respected for their work ethic. Walter Payton of the Chicago Bears was a local hero because he was humble, resilient and an unstoppable workhorse human being – Sweetness! Merle Haggard’s Working Man Blues was an ethos, even for people who did not care for country music. Maybe Rush’s Working Man resonated better with a younger, but now older generation. 

Early in my career I worked on productivity and quality improvement projects by integrating people, process, and technology in manufacturing systems for getting work done more effectively. As a practicing Industrial Engineer, I have conducted time and motion studies, work measurement programs, and I have calculated numerous learning curves to improve efficiency. I have simulated operations research optimization scenarios analyzed on computer software, then IRL. Later in my career I transitioned to become a business and IT consultant, where I managed enterprise software implementation projects in ERP, CRM, BI, HFM, Data Visualization and Biometric Identification Systems. In my life, I have witnessed ordinary people accomplishing extraordinary things, against all odds. My passion became serving my customers as they genuinely appreciated help in successfully solving complex, integrated problems together. Today, I continue to find enjoyment in my work by helping customers adopt Modern Work solutions that make them more successful.