It is very important to be happy at work. Learn the benefits of fulfilling work and how to make your current job more satisfying before you jump to another job.
The Importance of Being Happy at Work
If you're unhappy in your job, consider changing. It may save your life. According to Christopher Peterson, in his book A Primer on Positive Psychology, people who are happy at work are happy with their lives. And those with happy lives live longer, so it's time to re-evaluate that job.
Researchers find that people's perception of their work falls into three general categories: a job, a career, or a calling.
Jobs, Careers, and Calling
A job is just a job, a means of earning necessary income. A career is a job with the promise of growth and better things ahead. A calling is work that in itself is deeply satisfying. A person's happiness in life corresponds with how they perceive their work. Those perceiving work as a calling are the happiest, those with a job are least happy.
What should you do if your work is just a job, or even if it feels like a career? Should you jump ship and look for something better hoping to find a calling? Not necessarily.
The Best Job May Be Close
Perhaps you can change the job you have instead of finding a new job. Whether you work to change the job you have or take the plunge to find a new job, there are two critical steps you should take to have work that contributes to your happiness and a long life.
Two Critical Ingredients for Being Happy at Work
The Best Jobs Use Your Strengths
We're happiest when we use our strengths, those activities at which we inherently excel. Strengths are the foundation of any activity that you really love to do. Strengths can be talents, such as creativity, logic, or organizational ability. Strengths can also be social skills, such as easily connecting with others, leadership, or the ability to bring humor to others. Or they can be altruistic, such as generosity, being loving, or helpfulness.
There are many ways of describing and characterizing strengths. Before jumping into a new job, spend some time deciding on your top five or six strengths. Consider how you might change your current job to take advantage of your strengths. You might be surprised by the latitude your employer is willing to give you when you explain how changing your job will help you be more productive.
If changing your current job isn't possible, be sure to evaluate any new job in terms of your opportunity to apply your strengths.
See the Big Picture To Change a Job to a Calling
Seeing the big picture, how your work relates to something larger, is a good way to link one of your strengths to your current work, especially the social and altruistic strengths. To what greater good does your work contribute? If you work as a clerk, consider how what you do contributes to customer's by how well you help them find the product or service they require at a price that brings them value.
Any job within the health industry contributes to a greater good of someone's health and wellness. A job within the insurance industry contributes to people's protection against catastrophic loss. A customer service job in any industry helps solve people's problems, restoring products and services to their satisfaction.
Characteristics of The Best Jobs and Careers
Seeing the big picture and using your individual strengths in the work you do will go a long way toward increasing your satisfaction with work. The more satisfying your job, the happier you'll feel, and research points out that the happier you feel the longer you'll live.
译文:
找份最佳的工作--也许它就在您的身边，一份能为您带来快来的工作
工作的同时快乐是非常重要的。在您跳槽之前，了解怎样更好的完成现在的工作以及完成这些工作给您带来的好处。
工作时快乐的重要性
如果您工作时并不快乐，那您就要考虑换份工作了。不要浪费您的时间了。克里斯托弗 彼得森，在他的“积极心理学入门”书中提出，安居乐业的人们很快乐，那些快乐的人活的很长寿，也就有时间重新评定那份工作了。
研究人员发现，人们对他们劳动的观念分为三大类：工作，事业，一种召唤。
工作，事业，召唤
工作仅仅是为了谋生而已。事业则是承诺发展的更好的工作，而召唤是对工作本身深感满意。一个人的幸福与其对工作的认知密切相关。那些认为工作仅仅是一种召唤的人最为幸福，他们认为有工作就很快乐了。
如果您的劳动仅仅是一份工作，或者即使感觉就像一个事业，那您该做点什么呢？跳槽？寻找一些更好的工作？打算去寻找召唤？未必。
最佳工作也许还没找到
也许您会换一份工作而不是找一份新的工作。无论您是想换份工作还是毅然决定找一份新的工作，不管您怎么做都要有助于您的幸福和长寿，这两点很重要。
快乐工作的两大要素
工作时发挥您所长当我们发挥自己所长时我们才是最快乐的，那些是我们与身俱来的优点。发挥您的优点是能让您做好任何自己喜欢做的事的基础。优点可能是一种才能，比如，创造力，逻辑能力或组织能力。优点也可能是种社交能力。比如，善于与人相处，领导能力或者很有幽默感。或者利他主义，比如，慷慨，有爱心或者乐于助人。
有许多种方法可以表现优点的特性。在跳槽前，花点时间确定您的优点所在，考虑好怎样利用您的优点来换个工作。您也许会很奇怪，当您在和老板解释您换工作是为了更有成效的工作时，他却很乐意接受。
如果换份工作不大可能的话，那就根据您的优点评价一下新的工作。
综观全局，把工作变成一种召唤综观全局，您的工作涉及到一些许多的事情，那么在当前工作时结合您的优点不乏是种好的办法，尤其是社交以及利他主义的优点。您对您的工作作出了什么贡献？如果您是个职员，那就考虑怎样为您的客户作出点贡献，帮助他们找到符合他们心理价位的产品以及服务。
任何一种健康产业的工作都提供给人们许多健康，任何一种保险产业都提供给人们一种免受灾害损失的保护，任何一种客户服务都帮助人们解决各种问题，重拾产品和服务的形象让人们感到满意为止。
最佳工作和事业的特性
综观全局，在工作中发挥您的个人优点，您将大大增加对工作的满意度。更满足您的工作，感到更加高兴，研究人员指出快乐的感觉能让您更加长寿。