5 Ways to Find Happiness at Work
Happiness at work escapes you when you think, “I’ll be happy when.”
I’ll be happy when I earn a promotion.
I’ll be happy when I’m on vacation.
I’ll be happy when this project is done.
The danger of “I’ll be happy when”:
“I’ll be happy when,” is dangerous when it means you can’t be happy now. You endure today’s work because tee time is at 4:30. You endure the week because the weekend is coming. Living for the weekend is no way to live.
“I’ll be happy when” is a lie.
Desire runs one step ahead of attainment. Earning a promotion is a temporary bump in happiness. Before long, you think about the next promotion. The end of this vacation makes you count the days till the next.
The more you get the more you want and want is dissatisfaction in disguise.
5 Ways to find happiness at work:
#1. Stop worrying about happiness.
Worrying about happiness makes you unhappy. Focus on contributing what you have to offer.
#2. Choose happiness now.
Reasons to be unhappy are everywhere.
Find reasons to be happy now. Don’t ignore difficulties and challenges. Find reasons to enjoy work anyway. Notice the taste of coffee. Appreciate that people showed up. Respect people who want to do well.
#3. Focus on things you control.
Don’t focus on making others perform. Focus on being a leader who brings out the best in others.
#4. Enjoy small wins. Reach for big goals.
You don’t need a touchdown. You need a first down.
#5. Choose today’s big rock.
What’s one thing – beyond daily responsibilities – you will achieve today? Aiming at everything is exhausting.
Robert Ingersoll said, “The time to be happy is now; the place to be happy is here; and the way to be happy is to make others happy.”
What prevents happiness at work?
How can people find happiness at work?
Still curious:
7 Ways to Be a Happy Leader Today
Love this post!
Thanks for the good word, Bob.
Raising daughters, now in their 40s & 30s, one of our breakfast table mantras was “you’re always a VCR away from happiness” the lesson being the the next attractive gadget won’t satisfy.
I resonated with your post today. 🙂
Great saying, Ken. If the thing we purchased brought satisfaction we’d never need another one, or a bigger one, or a better one, or a different one.
Picked up on a thought recently “Try to bring joy to your role rather than looking for a role that brings you joy” by Palo Alto Networks CFO Dipak Golechha.
Love that, Morris. Something related is don’t look to work for purpose. Bring purpose to work.
Great reminder, Dan. I was listening to a Lenten podcast yesterday and the main message was very much the same. Expectations rob us of joy. We all set expectations that a job, marriage, event, etc. will lead us to lasting happiness, but often those expectations are not met. Instead, we need to trust, surrender, and focus on the reality at hand and try to bring our best selves into our workplace and home.
Thanks, Paul. It seems the idea of being present is an important part of finding happiness.
I have a great picture in my office that says “Now and then it’s good to pause in the middle of our pursuit of happiness and just be happy”.
Love it, D. Makes me smile.
Great post today, reminding us why we chose our professions and the life we have. We can find happiness one thought, one moment, and one day at a time!
Thanks Karen. Sometimes we just forget to be happy. We let problems and challenges control our thinking. But problems are challenges are everywhere. If we aren’t careful, we’re never happy.
Thank you for the kind reminder! One strategy I am using is attempting to create the job I want (in my current position) with the control / influence that I do have. Trying to find joy that way rather than “I will be happy when…”
Feels like taking the bull by the horns, Scott. At least to the extent that you have the ability and control to do so.