Work and Happiness

Work occupies majority of our time so work definitely matters to happiness. How so? Such as the atmosphere of growth, social contact, fun, a sense of purpose, self-esteem, recognition, the encouraging feeling of getting something accomplished, the intellectual stimulation etc...

While work is important to our happiness, the latter is also a critical factor for work. Happy people work more hours each week and more in their free time. They tend to be more cooperative, less self-centered, and more willing to help other people (by sharing information or pitching in to help a colleague) and by doing so, others tend to help them too. Also, they work better with others, because people prefer to be around happier people, who are also less likely to show the counterproductive behaviours of burnout, absenteeism, counter- and nonproductive work, work disputes, and retaliatory behaviour than are less happy people. 

Happier people also make more effective leaders. They perform better on managerial tasks such as leadership and mastery of information. They're viewed as more assertive and self-confident than less happy people. They're perceived to be more friendly, warmer, and even more physically attractive.

We all will at any point in time, reach a stage where we don't know what kind of job suits us. Do be misled by the false choices. Do something you love and are passionate about. Cos passion is a critical factor in professional success. People who love their work bring an intensity and enthusiasm that's impossible to match through sheer diligence. And enthusiasm is more important to mastery than innate ability, because the single most important element in developing an expertise is  your willingness to practice. 

Yes, at times, to be happy, we pretend to ourselves to enjoy activities that we don't really enjoy. This is so that we can become engaged in subjects and activities that we are not interested in. But usually that enthusiasm paled in comparison to the passion one have for the subjects in which they naturally find themselves interested.

Do what you wanted to do, and ignore options that no matter how enticing they might be for other people, ain't right for you.

And if you are worried about the uncertainty of a career switch (into something you are passionate about) such as whether will you be happy etc. Don't worry. According to Gretchen, challenge and novelty are the key elements to happiness. The brain is simulated by surprises, and successfully dealing with an unexpected situation gives a powerful sense of satisfaction. You will feel more happy to do something new than sticking to more familiar activities. 

This is one of the many paradoxes of happiness : we seek to control our lives, but the unfamiliarity and unexpected are more important sources of happiness. Because novelty requires more work from the brain, dealing with novel situations evokes more intense emotional responses and makes the passage of time seem slower and richer. Do you have that that moment when you feel like something you enjoy doing with a friend seems ages ago but infact it's just a few days ago? This is what this para is saying. 

Challenges allow you to expand your self-definition. You become larger, you can do yoga, make homemade beer or speak a decent amount of spanish. The more elements make up your identity, the less threatening it is when any one element is threatened. 

Remember when you wanna try something new : It is okay to ask for help and by doing a little each day, you can get alot accomplished. So start something today!

"A small daily task, if it be really daily, will beat the labours of a spasmodic Hercules." - Anthony Trollope