Why it’s Important to Find Joy in Your Work

This piece originally appeared in The Productivityist Weekly newsletter. If you’d like to receive first-run and exclusive content delivered to your email inbox every week (and receive additional bonus offers and a free copy of my manifesto The Way of The Productivityist, sign up here.

As I wrote this I was flying at 30,000 feet en route to Austin, Texas for the Think Better, Live Better event in January of 2016. I had a travel mug of orange tea next to my iPad Mini and a Bailey’s on the rocks next to that.

I didn’t intend on ordering a Bailey’s. It was given to me by the Southwest flight attendants.

It’s possible that the reason I got it was because of the tweet I sent before takeoff proclaiming that Alex, the flight attendant on the loudspeaker, provided the most entertaining pre-flight experience I’d ever had in my many miles of air travel. I’m not sure, but it was a nice gesture and they almost insisted that I take the drink. Alex may have even said “We’re getting you a Bailey’s on the rocks, okay?”

It was clear to me  that Alex and his “family” (as he called them during the preflight emergency announcement) found joy in their work. Once the passengers in the cabin saw this joy first hand, it changed their attitude. You could hear laughter throughout the aircraft. It made that flight the most enjoyable I’ve ever had. (And I’ve flown in business class before, so that’s saying something!)

If you’re struggling to find joy in your work, it’s time to figure out why. Is it a matter of perspective? Are you overwhelmed? Are you focusing on the right things? Are you in the right line of work?

There’s this wonderful quote that Gretchen Rubin shares in this video she created:

“The years are short but the days are long.”

The years are too short for you to not be doing what you need and want to do in life. Every day gives you a new chance to find joy in the work you’re doing or even pursue a new career path. The changes you make to figure that out don’t have to be radical. Creating better boundaries for your days is a great place to start. Even keeping a journal that dissects your feelings and thoughts over the course of day can provide elements of clarity.

Standing still won’t get you moving forward. Moving around may get you moving, but you could wind up moving about madly in the wrong direction. Look for what brings you joy and that will help show you the way forward.

I love it when I discover people who find joy in their work like Alex. It shows me that when you find joy in your work, it doesn’t matter what your work is because you will also have found the best way to do it at such an exceptional level.

Someone who has definitely found the joy in their work is Chris Guillebeau. Today marks the release date of his new book, Born For This. I had a chance to read an advance copy of the book and it’s a fantastic read. You can pick up the book here.

If you’re interested in going to one of the dates on Chris’s Born For This World Tour, then go here to see if he’ll be visiting your part of the world. (He’s coming to my part of the world because we’re bringing him to Victoria!)

The post Why it’s Important to Find Joy in Your Work appeared first on Productivityist.