The title of this post is taken from Scott Dinsmore’s call to action at the end of his TEDxGoldenGatePark talk:

How to find and do work you love

In this passionate oration Dinsmore recounts his own refusal to accept a life of deferred happiness at work, which he decides is like “putting of having sex until your old age…” and resolves instead to saturate himself in everything he needs to learn about how to build a flourishing work life for himself.  His experience and his distillation of 300 books results in this 3 step approach to finding and making your own happiness at work…

1.  Self-Mastery: become a self expert

Create your own compass by finding out what defines your success by

• finding out what your unique strengths are – for example from the VIA Character Strengths self-assessment;
• finding out what your priorities for making decisions are by knowing what your values are – “what your soul is made of”; and
• finding out what defines positive emotion for you, by learning to recognise what you love to do

Once you have this framework you can start to identify what makes you really come alive.

2.  Mindset: push your limits and do the impossible

Everything was impossible until someone did it.  The things we have in our heads holding us back are just milestones waiting to be achieved.  Strengthen your bravery and push your physical limits: what’s the worse that can happen?  Make little incremental pushes of what you can do.

3.  Relationships: surround yourself with inspiring people

Help yourself by surrounding yourself with passionate people – because the people around you really matter.  Be with people who inspire possibilities.

What is the work you can’t not do?

Discover that…

“It’s about doing something that matters to you and making the difference that only you could make.”  Scott Dinsmore.

Here are 8 Top Tips from happiness at work expert, Shawn Achor:

1.  Quieten some of the noise

2.  Believe success is possible

3.  Practice gratitude

4.  Create a positive ripple

5.  Involve others

6.  Strengthen relationships

7.  Re-think stress

8.  Use negatives to grow from

And these are CEO of Switch & Shift, Shawn Murphy’s 11 Characteristics of Meaningful Work

1. Basic needs are met
2. Work is perceived to be fulfilling
3. Seeing clear connections seen own work fits and the bigger picture
4. Feeling included – informed and in on things
5. Feeling respected by peers and managers
6. Feeling valued by organisation and managers
7. Being able to regularly play to your strengths
8. Deepening self awareness & personal mastery
9. Strong united team relationships and helping others to flourish
10. Balanced autonomy (independence) and collaboration (interdependence)
11. Efforts and accomplishments are recognised

And here are our top tips for increasing your sense of accomplishment – pride and recognition – which we have built and adapted from Tony Schwartz’s Be Excellent at Anything: The Four Keys to Transforming the Way We Work and Live

1. Pursue what you love.
2. Do the hardest work first.
3. Prioritise – and then work to your top priorities.
4. Get started…
5. Practice intensely. Work iteratively.
6. Seek expert feedback, in intermittent doses.
7. Take regular renewal breaks.
8. Ritualise your practice.

Happiness At Work edition #125

You can find more ideas and stories on this theme in our new collection…