Yes! You CAN Be Happy At Work - DBR 076

The happiness at work episode. Yay. I’m happy to be at work.

 

Last time we talked about pessimism versus optimism. A closely related subject is happiness versus misery. I do think that optimism is critical. I've heard it said that your number one goal as an entrepreneur is to protect your optimism. I think it's that important.

 

If you’re in the knowledge Work World and think you're not an entrepreneur and then you probably need to reconsider the definition of Entrepreneur. An entrepreneur is somebody that makes their own deal, that makes their own job. And you should probably be a lot closer to doing that than maybe you think you should be. Standing around getting told what to do all the time. Is not. Fulfilling satisfying, or really very enriching. You got to bring something to the party. So figure out what your thing is and bring it because we need it. And then protect your optimism that you can make a difference in the world.

 

As I'm recording this, it's Easter week and I'm a Christian, I'm very happy. Today is Thursday of Easter week. Which is Maundy Thursday. For those of you who aren't familiar with Christian tradition, Maundy is m-a-u-n-d-y. Traditionally, it's where we celebrate Jesus serving his disciples at the Last Supper and Loving on them in that way.

 

Tomorrow, of course, will be Good Friday, which you may be even more familiar with. If not, Good Friday is traditionally the day that Jesus was crucified. We say good to make the point.

 

 A lot of people are particularly happy at Christmas. I like Christmas too, but Easter is nore theologically sound. So I hope you're happy this week too while we talk about happiness at work.

 

Happiness and optimism go hand in hand. If you're optimistic about an outcome, then generally speaking that's going to correlate with some degree of happiness about where you are in the world.

 

It's a confusing topic to some degree. I don't think it's necessary that we get into the controversy, but let's talk about what we all agree on.

 

I think a lot of people don't like work. I think a lot of people have made up their minds that they're not gonna like work. In the minority of cases we don't like work because we work in some nasty environment, really dangerous, those kinds of things. Of interest, of course, is the fact that many of the people who do that sort of thing are really, really passionate about what they do and their unhappiness about it seems at least to be limited if not totally subsumed. People in the military, people in the medical profession, a lot of these areas.

 

That said, if you're listening to this podcast you probably work in a nice comfy office - comfortable chair, air conditioning, you’ve got the tools that you need. You’re pretty comfortable and well-treated. Maybe there's bits and pieces around the edges that you'd prefer were different, fine. I just think we've got to recognize that as part of this happiness equation.

 

Optimism is more productive - last podcast

• Happiness and optimism go hand in hand

Charley Gilkey: happy = 31% greater productivity

• Attitude is important, particularly in service businesses – “my pleasure”

Challenges to happiness at work

• Last podcast… the meme that realism is a sophisticated approach
• Desire and "wanting it."
• Flow state is NOT hard, grunting work I do think that the desire piece is overstated in the culture.
• Avoid this part of the hustle culture
• I don't think it has to be hard to be morally good work.
• Negativity and pessimism around work have two primary components

Ways to be happier at work

• Human beings have a great capacity to enjoy the things that we do.
• A definition of discipline(s)
• Strong relationships require disciplines.
• We call this discipline and learn as small humans to dislike it.
• I’m disciplined in some areas and not in others. You're likely the same
• Work-life balance vs. chore-craft balance - from Cal Newport and Scott Young.
• Craft – doing “the thing”
• Chore – peripheral to “the thing”
• Craft transcends the work life conflict

Happiness at work is certainly possible. Believing that is half the battle.

How we do our work with happiness.

• Engage the disciplines
• Understand the indirect relationships

 

Happiness is a big part of Doing Busy Right. Part of it is stress reduction. Part of it is greater throughput. Part of it is greater confidence.

In addition, consider some of these other ways to be happy at work.

 

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