Why should you stop trying to be happy at work?

Wanting to be happy at work is a trap. Because to make happiness the main goal, you have to get the opposite. On the other hand, job satisfaction can be achieved if a meaningful professional goal is set.

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Much has been written about happiness in the workplace. Yet according to Gallup statistics, 85 percent of workers do not know what happiness is. An average person spends 90,000 hours of life at work. So it is very important to find ways to better enjoy the time spent earning a living. 

However, there is a catch here. That is, if you make happiness your main goal, chances are it will feel the opposite. This is because happiness (like other emotions) is a temporary state, it is not permanent. An alternative solution may be to set a meaningful career goal for you.

Author Emily Esfahani Smith says that people who focus on making their personal and professional lives meaningful are happier at work.

Research has shown that making work more meaningful is one of the most effective and underutilized ways to increase productivity, engagement, and efficiency. In a survey of 12,000 employees, 50 percent said they did not feel meaningful or significant in their work. But those who felt this way felt seven times more satisfied at work, four times more engaged and three times more likely to stay with their current employer.

According to author Emily Esfahani Smith's analysis, those who focus on meaningfulness in their personal and professional lives are more likely to experience lasting well-being. Research shows that making work more meaningful is one of the most powerful and underutilized ways to increase productivity, engagement and efficiency.

A survey of 12,000 workers found that 50% did not get a sense of meaning and significance from their work. Those who did, however, expressed 1.7 times more job satisfaction, were 1.4 times more engaged, and were three times more likely to stay in their current workplace.

As an executive coach, I often hear from people who are thinking about their next career path the desire to find something more meaningful at work. Like John (that's not his real name). He started a biotech company. He turned the company into a two billion dollar company in two years. Investors were interested in giving him the role of CEO of another company.

But despite the outwardly impressive opportunities, John admits that he wants to solve more significant health care problems, which no one has yet solved. Although he was honored to be offered this top position, he was looking for more from his work, including long-term career satisfaction and engagement.

The difference between a meaningful workplace and happiness

A recent study by Shawn Achor and his research team found that 9 out of 10 people are willing to cut a portion of their lifetime earnings. That means many workers are willing to take a pay cut to make their work meaningful. But when we say we want more meaningful work, what are we really looking for, and how can it be separated from happiness?

Philosophers, scholars, artists and social psychologists have tried to find answers to these questions over the years. In research on happiness and money conducted by psychologist Roy Baumeister and his colleagues, five factors define the difference between money and happiness:

Are you getting what you want?

Your happiness at work is not necessarily related to whether your work is meaningful, but to the fulfillment of your desires. In fact, Baumeister wrote: "The degree of good and bad feelings is irrelevant for work to be meaningful, which can develop even under very difficult circumstances." For example, John might have been happy with the title of CEO, if the perks of the position had not outweighed his desire. 

Duration

As Baumista found, happiness is directly related to the present. Meaningful work 'in turn integrates the past, present and future and then analyzes it. For John, if becoming a CEO could bring immediate happiness, he was willing to forgo that momentary feeling of happiness, as he sought something that reflected his larger, longer-term values.

Social life

Relationships with others are important for happiness and meaningful work. According to Baumeister's research, work can be made meaningful by helping others. And you will find happiness in work if others help you. John had a desire to use his skills to help others, which prepared him to seek such work.

The challenge

According to Baumeister, stress, hassle and struggle reduce happiness. But they're part and parcel of a meaningful life.” John was also willing to go the extra mile to find alternatives to the CEO position, so he could increase his chances of finding money at work.

Personal identity

An important source of meaningful work is work or activity that "expresses identity." But when it comes to happiness, they are "mostly irrelevant." John was attracted to different types of work. This became the most important thing to him.

How to prioritize meaningful work at work?

The above points will help you make professional life meaningful. According to research by psychologist Pnut Rousseau-Netzer, following these can ultimately lead to happier workplaces. Here are four more steps you can take to make your work more meaningful: It can ultimately lead to happiness. Here are four actionable steps to bring more money into your work:

Keep a journal of your activities

Identify projects and tasks that give you deep satisfaction (as opposed to those that give short-term pleasure). For example, do you feel fulfilled when you give presentations in front of your clients? When you mentor and train junior employees, do you feel empowered, feeling that your current efforts are having a positive impact on their future?

Align your values ​​and actions

If mentoring is related to your personal identity and self-expression, include it in your weekly routine. If self-development is a core value, incorporate daily rituals such as listening to podcasts, taking courses, or joining mastermind groups.

Focus on relationships

But when you do, be intentional about how you do it, remembering Baumeister's comment that contributing to the safety and well-being of others is deeply related to the experience of meaning.

Describe your best situation at work

Help colleagues identify activities that bring out their true selves in a spirit of helping others. Daniel Cable, author of the book Alive at Work, recommends that colleagues share stories of seeing each other at their best. You can do this for your colleagues and encourage them to say the same.

Living life with meaningful work and purpose may not make you happy in the short term. It requires self-examination, effort, and struggle with things that may seem frustrating at first. But when you focus on work situations and respect personal identity, you will have the opportunity to practice skills that help you find the intrinsic value of your work