What aspects of your job are important to you?
Jobs are the sum of all the functions and responsibilities that we perform. It’s the day-to-day interaction with our coworkers and boss; it’s the skills that we use to perform the job,and it’s also the repeatable processes that we have to perform. What makes me happy in my dream jobs are creating new things, like departments, products, or programs. I love this creative aspect of my job, from brainstorming to identifying possible solutions.

I know that I get bored when I have to maintain a process over and over again. I enjoy working in teams, but I also love working in solitude from my home office. I like meetings, because it’s always fun to see people “on” as they apply their talents and expertise onto solving or building something. I enjoy teaching, managing and leading others. I’m not that thrilled with working in a cross-functional team environment because it’s harder to get things done. As I get older, I like having control over the things I’m responsible for.

List the reasons why you love your job and former jobs
Make a list of tasks or elements you love about your job. Do you see a pattern across all the jobs you’ve had? What does that tell you? You’ll find happiness at work can be as simple as just deciding what’s fun in your job and doing it.

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23 Ways to be Happy at Work Series

The 23 Ways to be Happy at Work series reflects on 23 ways to help you reflect about the course of your career. After deciding to identify what made me happy at work, my list became this list. Here the are the drivers to my happiness at work that may help you manage your career:

1. Work by your values
2. Love your work, love your career
3. Decide what makes you happy in your job
4. Work can be play
5. Know the big picture
6. Walk in your boss’ shoes
7. What is the problem?
8. Try the same old thing to get different results
9. Try something new to get different results
10. List your accomplishments
11. Don’t gossip
12. Don’t react
13. Don’t worry
14. Don’t be unhealthy
15. Read up
16. Read It
17. Share knowledge
18. Mend fences
19. Be a squirrel
20. Change your workspace
21. Give yourself a gift
22. Let it go
23. Change this!

I’ll post one post work day for the rest of July 2009. For previous entries in this series, click here.

Similar Posts:

• 23 Ways to be Happy at Work: #22 - Let it go
• 23 Ways to be Happy at Work: #6 - Walk in Your Boss’s Shoes
• 23 Ways to be Happy at Work: #21 - Give yourself a gift
• 23 Ways to be Happy at Work: #20 - Change your workspace
• 23 Ways to be Happy at Work: #4 - Work Can be Play