1. a worthwhile mission that i find meaningful
2. competency and effectiveness at serving that mission
3. freedom from interference from management and other people who typically get in the way of being productive
4. compensation at the level commensurate to the value that i add
i assume for most people a job which met the above four factors would be a job where the person is happy. i also assume that employers intuitively grasp the above points. however, to squeeze as much value out of a worker as they can, i also know that employers intuitively understand how to exploit their ability to minimize their provision of the factors which they are poorly able to provide -- like money -- to make up fofr others. in essence, this means that is is reasonable to assume that most employers will intentionally game the four factors to offer as little as possible while still retaining the employee. this is also exactly how "passion jobs" like science and video game coding are habitually underpaid and abused.
i'll be honest, i've only found this combination of factor at the first job i had. in the 8 years since then, it's been a lot of compromising or surrendering on #1, facing hard realities about my talents regarding #2, suffering through #3 with a smile, and swallowing my pride to carry #4 as best i can without letting the resentment become visible. in other words, finding "happiness at work" has, for me, been a pipedream in comparison to the more immediate concern of avoiding misery at work.
There is a different approach that I've been following to some success. Break these 4 things into two pieces. Turn "work" into work and just make it #4. Punch the clock, limit overtime, try to treat it like a blue collar job.
In your spare time, find the other fulfillment. Whether it is volunteering or a hobby (you can teach others too!) or creation, you can find the meaning you are missing at work here instead. I design board games. This prevents me from side projects which are just more hours sitting at a computer. It is different and pushes different skills and even as I make these, it is something tangible I can hold and show others and even have fun playing. Then there is the whole benefit of going to conferences or game nights with other like minded individuals. This also tends to create happiness from within instead of externally. It breaks you from the "as soon as [event]" or "if only [event]" mindsets that can lock you in inaction.
1. a worthwhile mission that i find meaningful 2. competency and effectiveness at serving that mission 3. freedom from interference from management and other people who typically get in the way of being productive 4. compensation at the level commensurate to the value that i add
i assume for most people a job which met the above four factors would be a job where the person is happy. i also assume that employers intuitively grasp the above points. however, to squeeze as much value out of a worker as they can, i also know that employers intuitively understand how to exploit their ability to minimize their provision of the factors which they are poorly able to provide -- like money -- to make up fofr others. in essence, this means that is is reasonable to assume that most employers will intentionally game the four factors to offer as little as possible while still retaining the employee. this is also exactly how "passion jobs" like science and video game coding are habitually underpaid and abused.
i'll be honest, i've only found this combination of factor at the first job i had. in the 8 years since then, it's been a lot of compromising or surrendering on #1, facing hard realities about my talents regarding #2, suffering through #3 with a smile, and swallowing my pride to carry #4 as best i can without letting the resentment become visible. in other words, finding "happiness at work" has, for me, been a pipedream in comparison to the more immediate concern of avoiding misery at work.