7 ways women can achieve happiness and satisfaction in their careers
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"Happiness is not something finished. It comes from your own actions." -Dalai Lama
Studies have shown that people who see meaning in their job or feel committed to the mission of their organization are much more resilient and satisfied in their economic environment. The average professional works about 90,000 hours in their lifetime, so finding happiness and contentment is important.
The good news is that life doesn't have to be perfect to be happy at work. Below are seven ways women can achieve happiness and contentment:
1. Discover the five Cs
You must maintain high levels of trust, commitment, belief, contribution and choosing a culture that fits.
With the Five Cs, you will have a sense of recognition, pride and confidence in your company.
2. Find meaning in your work
All too often we get caught up in the daily grind of our work and forget to look at the big picture - the "why" or the reason that motivates us to work.
When you reflect on the true purpose of your work, your daily tasks and achievements become more meaningful. Discover ways your work can improve other people's lives.
3. Challenge yourself
Challenging yourself is one way to increase the “joy” factor. Why don't you offer to step in where you wouldn't normally have responsibility? Why not ask your boss if you can shadow a colleague in another department to learn how different aspects of the company work?
This adds variety to your work (and makes it more interesting), and you score points for being a proactive employee who is ready to take on new challenges. You might even get a promotion and/or a raise as a result.
4. Look beyond the corporate ladder
Studies show that eight of the ten jobs that make people happiest in America are not on the corporate ladder. Instead, they were positions with benefits such as flexible working hours or positions that offer a high degree of independence.
These facts suggest that choosing work that aligns with your values - even if those values take you off the beaten path - is a good foundation for career satisfaction.
5. Work towards your goals
Ryan Howell of San Francisco State University co-authored a study last year and found that while working hard to improve a skill or skill causes more stress in the moment, it also guarantees more happiness on a daily basis and in the long run. “No pain, no gain,” he says.
If tasks aren't fun in the moment, the feeling of accomplishment when the task is completed changes that perspective. Howell found that it is not even necessary to achieve the goal to increase feelings of happiness - the process of trying and making one's own effort is enough.
Learning new skills not only makes you happier, but also more valuable to your current and future employers.
6. Build a social circle
A strong social (professional) network is key. It's easy to hate your job when you don't know your coworkers, and it's even easier if you continue to avoid them. If you hate your colleagues, the situation will not change.
Don't let a day go by without hearing something about your employees. Approach them and be curious about their lives. Two people cannot become friends without one of them starting the conversation.
7. Look for opportunities for growth
If you feel like you're always on the defensive in your job, take a deep breath and look for an opportunity instead. Revel in the fact that there is always a new project to start in the workplace. It doesn't matter what you do or where you work, there is always something new to do.
Instead of typing by the clock and falling into the same routine, take some time to look for new opportunities. Constantly defending yourself is exhausting for everyone involved. You'll find that it's much easier - and much more enjoyable - to look for opportunities to grow rather than making excuses.
Most of us are happy when others say something good about us. When you do something good for other people, you make them happy and create the conditions for them to receive it in return. Compliments, for example, are so easy to give that we often forget about them, but they are so powerful that we should always find ways to acknowledge others. Try spending a day complimenting instead of criticizing.
Respect and happiness in the workplace are easy to achieve if you show a lot of goodwill. Finding happiness depends as much on the choices and actions you make as it does on good things happening to you. Try some of the strategies above and put yourself in a better position to find happiness.
Remember, if you're not enjoying your life...change it! If you do the same thing today, you will get the same results tomorrow.
