Happiness in the workplace has a lot more to do with you than you may think, and less to do with the workplace itself. What makes you genuinely happy in your job surprisingly isn't about promotions or higher pay. It's not the things that happen to us; instead, we all create our own personal experiences. Srikumar Rao, the author of Happiness at Work states, "The knowledge that we are responsible for living the life we have is our most powerful tool."
To change your job, you must change the way you think about it. I had the most refreshing experience at a tiny little cafe called The Bluebird Cafe in Laurie, MO. The Cafe is very cute and the food is good, but that is not what made my experience refreshing. The happy greeting when we walked in, the playful banter with the customers, the pride in the food served all added to this pleasing experience. Our server was happy, not just when she approached our table, but always. Playful laughter came from the kitchen, and she announced to everyone when the cinnamon rolls came out of the oven. "Get them while their hot, they are so delicious." She is happy in her job because she knows how to choose the right attitude for her day.
If real happiness is born in us, then what's considered a bad situation may not be so bad depending on the attitude we use to frame it. Rao talks about the whole notion of good and bad events. So many times we label an event as "bad," when in reality it's just something that happened. Rao uses the example, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade." With this saying, lemons are labeled as something bad for us. Rao challenges us to train ourselves to say, "Ok, this happened...," instead of labeling it as "bad." There are so many events in our lives that, at that moment, couldn't have felt worse. But later, when we are able to look in the rear view mirror, we see they weren't that bad, and in some cases, they lead to something much better.
Here are 10 steps to happiness at work, drawn from Rao's recommendations:
Avoid "good" and "bad" labelsRao says, when you make an error, be aware of it without passing judgment. "Do what you have to do, but don't surrender your calmness and sense of peace."
Practice "extreme resilience"
Rao defines "extreme resilience" as the ability to recover fast from adversity. "You spend much time in needless, fruitless self-recrimination and blaming others," he writes. "You go on pointless guilt trips and make excuses that you know are fatuous. If you're resilient, you recover and go on to do great things."
Let go of grudges
Rao says that a key to being happy at work is to let go of grudges. "Consciously drop the past," he writes. "It's hard, but with practice you will get the hang of it."
Don't waste time being jealous
"When you're jealous, you're saying that the universe is limited and there's not enough success in it for me," says Rao. "Instead, be happy, because whatever happened to him will happen to you in your current job or at another company."
Find passion in you, not in your job
Everyone fantasizes about a dream job, but Rao warns against searching for that perfect position, or even believing that it exists. Instead, he advocates changing how you think about your current situation.
Picture yourself 10 years ago and 10 years from now
"Most problems that kept you awake ten years ago have disappeared," says Rao. "Much of what troubles you today will also vanish. Realizing this truth will help you gain perspective."
Banish the "if/then" model of happiness
Rao says that many of us rely on a flawed "if/then" model for happiness. If we get that promotion, then we'll be happy. If we buy that new car, then we'll be happy. "There is nothing that you have to get, do, or be in order to be happy," he writes.
Invest in the process, not the outcome
"Outcomes are totally beyond your control," Rao writes. You'll set yourself up for disappointment if you focus too much on what you hope to achieve rather than how you plan to get there.
Think about other people
Even in corporate America, where so much of work is every man for him or herself, Rao advocates inhabiting an "other-centered universe." If the nice guy gets passed over for a promotion, he may still succeed in less tangible ways.
Swap multitasking for mindfulness
Rao thinks that multitasking gets in the way of happiness. "Multitasking simply means that you do many things badly and take much more time at it," he writes. He recommends instead working on tasks for 20-minute intervals that you gradually increase to two-hour spans. Turn off any electronic gadgets that can be a distraction. He claims that with practice, you'll be able to accomplish much more and with less effort.