4 Ways To Love Your Work
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Do you love what you do? If not, there are adjustments you can make. In the July 2015 issue of Wired Magazine, Daniel Pink (author of To Sell is Human, Drive, and other books about work and behavior) writes about four scientifically proven ways to achieve occupational bliss. Below is a summary of the research studies Pink cites.



1) Customize your job- To understand what makes the happiest workers, Yale School of Management conducted a study of various professions including janitors and sales people. The researchers found that the most satisfied employees customized their jobs “to better fit their motives, strengths, and passions”. Amy Wrzesniewski, one of the authors of the study, named this practice “job crafting”.



2) Relationships count- Pink cites a Gallup study that measured workforce engagement. The research revealed that if an employee had a best friend at work, the person was seven times more likely to be engaged on the job. Taking the time to make friends at your job not only improves your social network, it increases your job satisfaction.



3) Don’t wait to make a change- If you hate your job, now is the time to do something about it. Karl Pillemer, a gerontologist at Cornell University, has spent years interviewing people age 65 and older. In his book, 30 Lessons for Living, Pillemer concluded that “Spending years in a job you dislike is a recipe for regret and a tragic mistake.” If you hate your work, do something to change, it won’t get better.



4) Motives matter- Yale’s Wrzesniewski along with Barry Schwartz of Swarthmore College, published a study researching a decade of West Point cadets. The researchers found the cadets who chose West Point only to boost their careers experienced the least professional success. The most successful ones were those who had expressed a motive to serve their country or to become leaders. Knowing how you want to make a difference through your work will impact your happiness.



Loving what you do makes a huge difference in life. If you are experiencing discontent, do something right now to get the ball rolling. You will be glad you did.