How do you find a job that makes you happy?

This is the (very) condensed summary of a number of youtube videos on the subject. If you want a more detailed analysis on this subject, consider reading the excellent book So Good they Can't Ignore You by Cal Newport.

What follows are some quick ideas that might help you get some inspiration on how to find more joy in your work. This is mostly meant as a reference for myself, but I figured that others might benefit from it as well, so that's why I put it on my website. Enjoy!

Aaron Doughty

Mindset shifts that help you become happier about your work:

1. Realize that we CHOOSE what we are doing. You always have options! Don't tell yourself you 'have' to go to work. Tell yourself you CHOOSE to go to work, because you do choose! You can also quit your job, call in sick, take a vacation day etcetera.
2. Focus on the parts of the job that you enjoy. If you focus on that, it takes up more 'brain space' which causes you to associate your work more with that positive part. This will help you see the job less as (just) a means but also as an end in itself: You work because you like to work.
3. Learn how to perfect what you're doing, challenge yourself to outgrow your job. This makes it a FLOW activity! It also opens up other opportunities and/or allows you to make the jump to a new, more challenging position or job in which you can repeat the process. This way you keep climbing the SKILL LADDER, you keep youself engaged you and keep improving yourself (which makes you happy!). So:
   • Read books on what you are doing and how to improve it.
   • Read articles, watch videos, ask people that do what you do for (specific) advice, get a mentor (?).

• Being so eager to learn and improve will also open up opportunities, because people like being around you and/or will want to offer you a job or get to know you better over coffee or lunch (so you make new friends!).

Simon Sinek

• Working for something you don't like is stress, for something you do like is passion.
• Give me something to believe in, let me make mistakes and learn from them, help me improve and grow and I'll give you my blood, sweat and tears to make sure we make the vision come true.

Benjamin Todd

• Do what's valuable: Focus on getting good at something that helps others and makes the world a better place.
  • If you focus on helping others, lots of people will want you to succeed, making it easier to succeed.
• Use your valuable skills to solve big, pressing problems. This will give you the most feeling of making a contribution.
• Altruism (helping others with your time and/or money) is something you'll never regret.

Time Management and Productivity: How to enjoy my work

1. Choose a job that is in line with your future goals, and is a stepping stone to the job you want to have later on.
2. Don't expect work to be perfect. Life is messy, so is work. Things will be disorganized sometimes, and it helps if you accept that that things will go wrong occasionally.
3. Keep learning in your work and outside of it.
4. Avoid negativity. Instead; Focus your time on the people that are positive and nice to be around.
5. Take ownership of your work, take responsibility and, by doing this, make yourself more valuable to the operation of the company. This will open opportunities and give you a feeling of purpose.
6. Take on challenges at work instead of avoiding them. Try become more effective, and then more efficient (the order matters!).
7. Realize how your part contributes to the bigger picture. Each job has some contribution, even if it seems small and you need to take a few steps to get there. If your contribution wouldn't be useful, your job wouldn't exist.

Alex Ikonn

Look as each job as a stepping stone to grow. Each job is an opportunity to learn something new.

Tatiana Melnichuk

To love your job, you need to become the master of your craft.