A great post by Dan Rockwell. Apt for all of us!
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.
