The Secret To Job Happiness | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Health and Wellness

The Secret To Job Happiness

I finally discovered a reason why people love their job...

19
The Secret To Job Happiness
Huffington Post

I recently created a survey entitled “Are You Happy At Work?” and shared it to receive responses. As a new college student exploring tons of career options, I wanted to get a glimpse of how people feel about their jobs and why.

I received 30 responses, and many people were quite thorough in their feedback, which I truly appreciated. I asked multiple questions, such as “Is what you're doing always what you've wanted to do?” and “If you could spend the rest of your life not worrying about time, money, or skill level, what job would you have?”

I also asked people to rate their job happiness on a scale from one to five. A response of five indicated that they love their job, and a one meant they hated their job. To my surprise, 63.3 percent of people answered that they love their job and it doesn’t even feel like work sometimes!

I also discovered many people have explored multiple career paths and are currently doing something they never thought they would be involved in. (So, college students like me, don’t be scared of getting stuck in a field you hate!)

Some of the most interesting responses to me were the answers to the question “What is the best thing about your job?” After analyzing my data, I discovered something intriguing—23 of the 30 responses to this question had something in common.

The majority of answers involved one specific thing: people. Whether it was coworkers, customers, or students, the best thing about many people’s job is the people.

We were made for community. It baffles me to realize how much we genuinely need each other in order to thrive. I was expecting the responses to “What is the best thing about your job?” to be something like “doing what I love” or “the things I’ve accomplished.” Instead, I discovered that job happiness might be more correlated with the who rather than the what.

My leadership teacher introduced an inspiring idea to our class last year. She explained that we are always asked what we want to be when we grow up rather than who we want to be. When you establish and develop who you want to be, you can find happiness in whatever you end up doing.

I honestly hate that I’m writing this because I want to know an answer. I wanted to know how to find your life calling and how to find that magical job you can’t wait to go to. But, I don’t think it is that easy. Each tiny task we have builds our character. No job is wasted—we can learn something from everything we do, even if we hate it.

Life can take us on a wild ride. As I said before, the majority of people who took my survey did not end up in the career field they expected to be in. If we spend our whole lives focused on our job title or the activities we are involved in, our whole identity could be taken away in an instant. However, if we spend our time growing, learning, and deciding we want to be kind, loyal or giving, we can never lose who we are.

You could be the best thing about someone’s job. You—their coworker, student, or customer. If your favorite thing about your job is not the people, trying being that person. You may find that when you strive to be the person you wish others would be to you, things will shift.

Tomorrow when you go to work, think of the impact you could have on someone’s day. That helping hand, smile, or consideration could be the best part of their career.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Vivien Leigh
Revelist

I've lived a whole 21 years with an RBF (Resting Bitch Face), so naturally, I go through most of these struggles on a daily basis.

And before you ask, yes I'm fine. No, I'm not mad. This is just my face, so take it or leave it! To those of you who have been #blessed with an RBF, you'll probably relate to these more than you'd like to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Iconic Duos: Timeless Legends

From Luke and Leia to Beyonce's twins...

774479
Luke and Leia from Star Wars, a iconic duo
Lucasfilm

“Name a more iconic duo... I'll wait." OK, well, if you insist. In no particular order, here's a list of 100 iconic duos that seem to be timeless.

SEE MORE: This Is The ICONIC Disney Sidekick You Are To Your BFF, According To Your Zodiac Sign

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

A Candid Letter to My Best Friends Ex

Because this is the real form of torture you deserve.

184
middle finger
Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash

What's up Asshat,

I've composed a list of things that I wish upon you, and they're harsh and cruel. These things are things that I wouldn't wish upon my worst of enemies, not even that Starbuck's barista who always screws up my order, not even him. You fall into a whole other category of hate. You surpass Starbucks barista. Congratulations, I'm actually a pretty nice person, making you worthy of every single bit of torture I wish upon you. What are these things I wish upon you you might ask?

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

College Life: As Told By Bob's Burgers

If there's anyone who understand the struggles of college, it's the Belcher family

862
Bob's Burgers

College is a time of gaining independence, exploring new things, and copious amounts of Netflix. If you're like me, you often find yourself laughing at the sheer ridiculousness of the situations you find yourself in. Here are ten times Bob's Burgers accurately captured college life.

1. What you're pretty sure your upstairs neighbors do at 3am every morning.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Why Theater Kids Are the Greatest People Ever

Supportive and spontaneous human beings are the best.

649
Theater Kids

Throughout school, the theater department has always been my go-to place with go-to people when I need advice, a dance party, or just someone to listen to me vent.

You never know what's going to happen when you're dealing with theatre or what kind of characters you'll encounter. We have too much fun doing anything! One time in my senior year acting class, we spent an entire class period watching Bob's Burgers, and it was the greatest class period ever.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments