2 easy ways to be happy at work

Every year - for two days - I like to sit in a dark room and absorb the light. I’m not talking about having a word to the big man upstairs. Instead, there are two conferences I love to attend annually - Happiness and Its Causes (to be held in Brissy next year) and Mind and Its Potentials (just held!). Both herd together a seriously impressive line-up of mind experts. And I always walk away inspired and enlightened. Here’s what I learned this time around about working smarter and loving my job:

1. Free up your work time to be creative

Studies from the US and UK show that we produce our most creative work when we’re doing non-commissioned tasks. That is, when our minds are set free to come up with whatever captures our imagination. The problem here? Almost all the work we do as part of our day jobs is commissioned work. Unless of course you’re a widely successful artist or musician! So, to get around this, some companies have implemented what they call ‘20 per cent’ time. Think Google. This is how it works: for 20 per cent of your working day, dream up a project for your company or organisation and give it your all. The only catch is that at the end of the week, you need to show your team what you’ve come up with. Following this method, Google devised Gmail and Google News.

2. Feedback: the only way to get better!

Annual performance reviews - they’re no fun for you or your manager. Plus, they’re annual - and that shouldn’t be the only time you reflect on your performance! The truth is the only way to get better at your position is to receive feedback. And once a year just doesn’t cut it. So, take matters into your own hands and perform a DIY review. What could you do better and what skills do need in order to make change happen? Furthermore, what projects do you want to see in motion? We do our best work and are happiest when we’re contributing to something beyond ourselves. In some small way, you can make this happen through your day job. You just need to be creative.

For more gems I learned at the Mind and Its Potentials conference, tune in to my next blog!