Pursuit for Happiness
Can you be happy at work?
Attaining happiness is a daily pursuit. It’s an intangible currency and there’s no equation available that says,’if you have this much happiness-currency, you are truly happy’. Your desires and mindset ultimately define what a full bank account looks like. “The basic root of happiness lies in our minds; outer circumstances are nothing more than adverse or favorable.” - Matthieu Ricard
After spending time researching the many layers of happiness, I present to you in this article the iHappy report. After hours of research and numerous calls on the topic, I have some insight and guidance on how to approach your pursuit of happiness.
HAPPINESS
The definition - noun: happiness; good fortune; pleasure; contentment; joy.
Happiness is not a one-size-fits-all goodness or easy-to-obtain emotion...so, how does one define and adopt measurable actions to experience happiness?
To lay it out in a way that offers an easy to digest view, see below the top three areas you should give focus when trying to gauge - do you have a lot of happiness-currency?
Pleasure, Passion, and Purpose. When these three categories have attention, a sense of happiness is present.
PLEASURE
The definition - noun: pleasure; enjoyment or satisfaction derived from what is to one's liking; gratification; delight.
Pleasure might be a great meal with friends, or witnessing joyful moments amongst family members (including your four-legged members). It may be a vacation; it may be a sense of accomplishment you feel after completing a project...pleasure can be an outcome as a result of so many(!) things. Yet, therein lies the problem. If so many things can offer pleasure, how does one not become overwhelmed with decision-fatigue on which one produces the best pleasure..here inlines the struggle.
In order to better experience pleasure, you need to pick your favorite five things that give you that feeling. Keep in mind this list can exist for a certain amount of time, not staying the same forever. Also, be advised, some of the items on your list can transfer to future lists, but your list should always be in draft form, never final, as life shifts and the need to adapt is constant. For example, consider what made you happy during your younger years, do those things still present pleasure today?
Inspiration:
Experiencing the calm of an early morning sunrise or the wind-down of a full day while taking in a sunset
Self-care in the form of a bath or quiet moment allowing for reflection
Taking in a great meal with family and/or friends (or alone)
Enjoying a great movie/show
Producing a smile and LOL moment with someone
In crafting your own list, you become one with your commitment to yourself that should these things occur; you are adding happiness-currency to your life-account.
PASSION
The definition - noun: passion; a strong or extravagant fondness, enthusiasm, or desire for anything.
Passion has a high chance of showing up when you are engaged in things that are easy for you to accomplish and require light decision making. Passion sprouts when someone engages with an activity that ignites enthusiasm (i.e., creative outlet), when someone steps into a pair of ski boots for a long day of skiing (i.e., a sense of rush), or hosts an intimate or big group of friends/professionals (i.e., being hospitable). The list for connecting with and establishing new passions is infinite. Thinking about passions, big or small, and making sure each week has a connection with one of your passions helps you experience happiness. This is where journaling (or an app) comes in handy so you can jot down moments in time where you tapped into your passions and how that activity added happiness-currency to your life-account.
PURPOSE
The definition - verb: purpose; to set as an aim, intention, or goal for oneself.
Purpose...everyone, especially exceptional admins, want to experience some sense of purpose each day. We are a unique family of professionals living in a constant state of altruism each day working hard for the greater good of the executive, or many executives, and their purpose within an organization. How does a professional experience purpose when the work being done is for someone else's purpose...First, remember the work you handle helps them move the assignment forward - that assignment can’t happen unless you are a part of the situation. Analogy, a meal consists of many parts to be whole, each component plays a role in the enjoyment of the meal (i.e., a banana bread is needed to make banana bread, but then you need flour too). Should you wish, switch “meal” for cocktail if you’d like to be a bit of a bada-s. I know for many professionals being under-appreciated impacts the way you connect with your purpose. Please know, you do your best each day for your ‘brand’ then for your executive. The ‘word on the street/brand’ about you and your executive composure is what gives you purpose each day. Psychologist Ed Diener discovered, “The frequency of your positive experiences is a much better indicator of your happiness than is the intensity of your positive experiences.” Plus he also shares, ”Somebody who has a dozen mildly nice things happen each day is likely to be happier than somebody who has a single truly amazing thing happen.”
Jot down mildly nice happenings as coin currency, vs. dollar bills, so you can compound those little moments adding more happiness-currency to your life-account.
In closing, thinking about your life through a series of buckets, vs. whole, will give you a wider opportunity to experience happiness.
Launch Pad:
1) Identify 2 to 3 things that make you happy, and make sure you have them sprinkled throughout each month.
2) Pick one thing you wish to add to the top of your day to encounter pleasure.
3) Pick one thing that ignites one of your passions.
4) Identify 1 to 2 things each week that fuel having purpose. Be sure to check out this development exercise to discover more about your happiness and your career.
HBR - The Science behind the smile
Positive Psychology - The Philosophy of Happiness
Springer Link - Healthy happiness: effects of happiness on physical health and the consequences for preventive health care
If you found this helpful, you’ll also like our Career Audit Article. Take the free assessment and download the workbook.