Are you happy at work?

If you are, you are one of the lucky ones.

Congratulations.

Let me guess,

• You have trusting & warm relationships with colleagues.
• You feel that what you do is important & your daily actions are an expression of your values.
• Your future is bright & work is an avenue to your dreams.
• Your life feels richer, fuller & more meaningful than if you are bored or miserable at your job.

Many people are NOT happy at work – according to all kinds of surveys & anecdotal evidence from my friends.

Is being happy at work important?

If we’re not happy at work, does it really matter?

Can we keep working at our job despite not being happy?

If so, what are the costs?

The benefits?

Well, science says, ‘we can’t be unhappy at work & happy in life.’ Our job invades our private life.

Is being happy at work important to you?

Happiness at work is possible.

Here are the ingredients:

1)?????You need to see your work as an integral part of your present & your future.

2)?????You need to feel that what you do at work helps you to get somewhere & not just to the next rung on a career ladder.

3)?????You need to feel like you are working toward goals you believe in — even when the tasks involved aren’t terribly fun.

4)?????You need work to feel worthwhile in your eyes.

5)?????You are energized by your meaningful purpose.

6)?????You have a strong sense of belonging because you are valued & cared for.

7)?????Your work is service to others & making the world a better place.

And here are some ‘misplaced’ ingredients:

1)?????You constantly need more money & promotions to feel happy. Yes, money reduces dissatisfaction. But it doesn’t drive happiness or increase satisfaction. Fact is, money is a medium that distracts us from happiness.

2)?????More hours at work make you more successful & ultimately happy – one day. Instead, fewer hours & better 'worklife harmony' will do the trick. Working too much is one of the top regrets of the elderly.

3)?????Holding a fascinating job that represents the pinnacle of your educational achievement. What matters is not so much the “what” of a job, but more the “who” & the “why”.

4)?????You believe that to be happy, you have to be successful. However, your brain works the other way around. Happiness creates success.

5)?????Extrinsic motivation – it generally does not last. Only intrinsic motivation does.

Happiness at work is impossible when your relationships are toxic

Happiness is other people. It’s the connections you build & the relationships you foster. They create you & they continue to shape you.

There are always two parties involved in a relationship. Both have to do their part to make it work.

Using some of the conclusions here about what contributes to workplace happiness, are there any areas you could work on to improve your own happiness?

Now how to get there?

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...

You are responsible for your own happiness.

Being happy at work is not something “you find”.

People struggling with professional fulfilment fall into the trap of believing meaningful work is something “out there” waiting to be discovered by chance.

No, it is something we create, and passion is often the product of making decisions consistent with creating meaningful work.

People with realistic expectations understand professional success requires experimentation and doesn’t require one specific discovery that leads to professional fulfilment.

Happiness can be found in all sorts of vocations.

Research from Yale & Stanford suggests people should invest their time in areas of interest that enable us to explore our curiosities which will lead to discovering passions over a prolonged period of time.

You are an adult.

You have choices.

You are the one you have been waiting for!

Stop waiting. Act.

It’s always your choice.

Whatever the work is, you can decide whether to do it well or badly.

What you do does not define you – but how you do it very much does.

It’s your actions - not your surroundings - that bring you meaning, belonging & happiness.

Could Happy Hour be 9-to-5 for you?

What others say about happiness:

“What is happiness, really? It is nothing more or less than a word that we word makers can use to indicate anything we please.” – Daniel Gilbert

“All happiness depends on courage and work.” ― Honoré de Balzac

“Happiness is found only in little moments of inattention.” – Joao Guimaraes Rosa

“Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get.” – Warren Buffett

"The trick is in what one emphasizes. We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves happy. The amount of work is the same!“ - Carlos Castaneda

“Action may not always bring happiness, but there is no happiness without action.” – Benjamin Disraeli

“Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one.” – Dr. Seuss