Llamas, Hondas, & Work Happiness (oh my!)

I heard something that warmed my heart this weekend.

My husband, kids, and I were at a Honda dealership looking to buy a new quad runner. For those of you who don’t know me, we have what my husband calls a “hobby farm”. In fact, for about ten years we owned llamas, sheep, and goats. A lot of them. We are now down to a dog and cats, but we still have a full garden and property to maintain. The quad has been used by our sons and us so much, it finally died a tired death in our barn. RIP.

Fast forward to this weekend, we found ourselves at the Honda dealership browsing new quad runners. The sales person came up to us and excitedly started asking questions. “What are you using it for? How often? I love Honda! Will you be using it with a trailer? What about a plow? Do you need a work-horse, or is this for play? We have the new type of tires on this machine, and over here we have the one with the handle gear selector option. I just love Honda’s!” and on and on it went.

I was chuckling to myself because he was just so happy to talk about these things that his enthusiasm was contagious--my husband and sons were right there with him! He seemed to know every machine, age, rebuild history, new stock, etc. You could tell these were his babies.

With all of this Honda enthusiasm, I asked him if he was the owner. “Me? Oh, no. I just work here a day or two a week. I’m just happy to work here when I can. I just love Honda’s and I could talk about them all day!”

He was such a great salesman that he could have worked there full time, probably make a fortune.

He reminded me of how I am when I talk about my job of being able to help people find their dream jobs by creating amazing career documents. Or when I have a client who is bursting at the seams with details about what they do, happy in their roles, eager to move to the next level.  To have a job that you love AND love to talk about really is a blessing—whether if it’s a day or two a week, a side hustle, or a full time job. If your job makes you happy, you are blessed.

Being happy or at least satisfied at work is imperative for your health and wellbeing. In fact, according to a HuffPost article, being unhappy at work can cause weight gain, lower your immune system, cause sleeplessness, and can ruin your relationships.

What do you love about your job? When you look at the different aspects of your job, what are your favorite parts? Your daily responsibilities? The culture? The co-workers? The perks? The products?

If you don’t love your job, what can you do to improve your situation?

?? Make a list of pros and cons; what do you love about your job and what do you dislike about it?

?? On the con side, what can you do to make changes? Can you request a move within the department, division or company? Inquire about other job opportunities within the company.

?? Do you feel like you were passed over for a promotion because of lack of time on the job, lack of education, or experience? What can you do to change that?

?? Are you not getting paid what you feel you are worth? Have you checked salary.com or glassdoor.com to compare salaries with employees in similar roles? Have you spoken with your boss about this? Have you tried to negotiate a raise?

?? Do you have a best buddy or close colleague at work? An article by The Muse.com offered a study that says 70% of employees say having friendships at work is the most crucial element to a happy working life.

There are many different things you can do improve your work happiness. The first step is to write down your pros and cons. That will help you with what you need to do next. Good luck!