Ok, let’s be real: we spend a LOT of time at work. In fact, if you work a standard 40-hour week, you spend 24% of your hours working (and if you sleep 8 hours per night…you’re spending 36% of your waking hours working). And you wouldn’t be alone if you hate your job. Or are just indifferent to it. But I don’t think it has to be that way.
The Science of Well-Being Coursera has a section about how to develop a deeper appreciation for the things that you already have – including your job. Now I want to share the two biggest factors that contribute to whether you actually like your job or not.
How Do You Find a Job You Won’t Hate?
One of the realities of living in our society is that we are under a lot of pressure to get a “good” job. Or to find our “calling”. Or…work several jobs just to pay the bills. Or monetize our hobbies as a “side hustle” to build financial stability. But there isn’t a lot of guidance as to what will make a job enjoyable – or at least emotionally worth the time.
If you hate your job, you might find yourself fantasizing about a different job, one that will make you happy. But you have no way to know if that new job will make you happy! But as it turns out, there are two factors that contribute to meaningful job satisfaction – flow and signature strengths.
Before I get into these, I want to caveat what I’m about to say. Flow-inducing work and leveraging your signature strengths won’t fix toxic workplace environments. So don’t expect me to fix those with this advice, ok?
Also, I know that a huge portion of the population is working jobs they wouldn’t necessarily choose. I hope this advice doesn’t come across as condescending and that these tips might help you squeeze a few drops of enjoyment out of your employment situation!
Flow: Brain Candy!
Have you ever been working on something and time just FLEW by? You felt totally in the zone, your brain was engaged and you were enjoying how much you got done in that time. That, my friend, is flow.
When it comes to finding jobs that bring satisfaction or happiness, flow is the first factor. Going into flow is like candy for our brains – it sits at the perfect combination of being in control of what you’re doing and losing yourself in the rhythm of your work.
Do you know, off the top of your head, what activities lead to flow? For me, it’s working with data in Excel and creative problem solving. If your current work drops you into a flow state on a regular basis, congratulations! You have a job that is a good fit for both your skills AND your brain.
But if you don’t get into flow in your job on a regular basis, it might be time for a change. That change could be as simple as talking to your manager about taking on more tasks or projects that drop you into flow. If there’s no possibility of you doing flow-inducing tasks at your job, you might want to think about switching things up.
(I know that there are a lot of factors that go into changing jobs/careers. I’m not saying that it’s as simple as going to the Job Store and picking up a new job. But knowing what tasks drop you into flow will give you more to talk about in interviews – and more genuine enthusiasm for those conversations, too!)
Signature Strengths: The Secret Sauce of a Calling
Do you envy people who have found their calling? I have some friends that are doing work that is so well-suited to their skills and interests and…I get a little jealous. But what makes a job more than just a job?
Turns out, a component of that is your signature strengths. A signature strength is one of 24 character trait that is inherent in who you are. Signature strengths are positive and culturally-neutral traits, meaning that most cultures value these strengths. They also leave people feeling positive and energized when they’ve used them. You can see a full list of them here.
This quiz identifies which of these signature strengths are most important to YOU. The important part of signature strengths is that the ones you value leave you energized when you use them. Research has shown that using at least 4 of your 7 top signature strengths at your job leads to lasting job satisfaction – and potentially turn it from a simple job into your calling.
Reading about this was a bit of an eye-opener for me. My top 7 are: Humor, Zest, Social Intelligence, Teamwork, Kindness, Curiosity, and Love of Learning. My last job at Starbucks was on the Food Innovation team, and it initially TERRIFIED me. I had been avoiding innovation roles because the thought of having to pull ideas out of thin air seemed beyond my abilities. What I didn’t know was that innovation roles would allow me to be enthusiastic (Zest), require me to stay constantly curious (Curiosity), work closely with a team (Teamwork), and manage cross-functional relationships (Social Intelligence).
I LOVED it.
Once you know your signature strengths, noticing when you use them (and finding new ways to infuse your life with them) can also lead to deeper happiness in your job and life.
Summary
My experience with deciding on a career has been muddled and confusing. I was never quite sure how to decide what to do with my life. Especially since I’m a scanner personality, narrowing the possibilities down has always seemed impossible.
But now I know that, if I’m doing work where I regularly go into flow and use my signature strength daily, I’ll be happy. Further, just noticing when I’m activating flow or employing my signature strengths will make me happy! Double dipping on happiness!
So if you hate your job, I hope this can help bring some focus to the, “What should I do with my life?” question.
