What makes you happy at work? While dining at a restaurant during the height of dinner hour, I was fascinated that the waiter pivoted in dancer-like fashion as he delivered our food with efficiency and style. After the fourth turn, I finally asked him why he was dancing. His answer: “I own a ballroom dance studio, and this helps me stay in shape.” Interesting…
So often I meet people who are in so-called “dream jobs,” but they’re desperately unhappy. Yet here was a person who wasn’t in his career job, and had figured out something he could do to make the work more enjoyable. Incidentally, he got a good tip.
If you are wishing that you were happier at work, the answer isn’t necessarily to find a new situation. First ask yourself, “What can I stop doing?” “What can I start doing?”, and “What can I do differently or better?” Sometimes the key to happiness comes from approaching the same situation in new ways.