168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think

by Laura Vanderkam

There is not necessarily a right way to work, but there is a right way for you. Think about the times when you felt most creative and productive, and try to identify the “who, what, when, where, and why” answers we reporters learn to cram into the first paragraph of a story. Were you working closely with other people, or by yourself? What kind of work were you doing—looking at the big picture and zeroing in, or starting from the details and moving out? What time of day does your best work happen? Some people are useless after or before a certain hour, but some people have waves of concentration that come and go. Where were you? Were you in a Zen-like office space, a coffee shop, or surrounded by plants, paint tubes, or puppies? It makes sense that if there’s a way that you work best then the right job should allow you to work in that way more often than not.

They found that people were happiest when they were completely absorbed in activities that were difficult but doable, to the point where their brains no longer had space to ruminate about the troubles of daily life.