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If you want to get more done at work, the productivity gurus out there will tell you that it’s all about having the right system. You need to prioritize your tasks, you must keep detailed logs of how you spend your time, to-do-lists are of course essential, you must learn to structure your calendar and much, much more. But that’s not where you should start. You should start by liking what you do. The single most efficient way to increase your productivity is to be happy at work. No system, tool or methodology in the world can beat the productivity boost you get from really, really enjoying your work. I’m not knocking all the traditional productivity advice out there – it’s not that it’s bad or deficient. It’s just that when you apply it in a job that basically doesn’t make you happy, you’re trying to fix something at a surface level when the problem goes much deeper. Here are the 10 most important reasons why happiness at work is the #1 productivity boosters. 1: Happy people work better with others Happy people are a lot more fun to be around and consequently have better relations at work. This translates into: • Better teamwork with your colleagues • Better employee relations if you’re a manager • More satisfied customers if you’re in a service job • Improved sales if you’re a sales person 2: Happy people are more creative If your productivity depends on being able to come up with new ideas, you need to be happy at work. If people are in a good mood on a given day, they’re more likely to have creative ideas that day, as well as the next day, even if we take into account their mood that next day. There seems to be a cognitive process that gets set up when people are feeling good that leads to more flexible, fluent, and original thinking, and there’s actually a carryover, an incubation effect, to the next day. 3: Happy people fix problems instead of complaining about them When you don’t like your job, every molehill looks like a mountain. It becomes difficult to fix any problem without agonizing over it or complaining about it first. When you’re happy at work and you run into a snafu – you just fix it. 4: Happy people have more energy Happy people have more energy and are therefore more efficient at everything they do. 5: Happy people are more optimistic Happy people have a more positive, optimistic outlook, and as research shows optimists are way more successful and productive. It’s the old saying “Whether you believe you can or believe you can’t, you’re probably right” all over again. 6: Happy people are way more motivated Low motivation means low productivity, and the only sustainable, reliable way to be motivated at work is to be happy and like what you do. 7: Happy people get sick less often Getting sick is a productivity killer and if you don’t like your job you’re more prone to contract a long list of diseases including ulcers, cancer and diabetes. You’re also more prone to workplace stress and burnout. One study assessed the impact of job strain on the health of 21,290 female nurses in the US and found that the women most at risk of ill health were those who didn’t like their jobs. The impact on their health was a great as that associated with smoking and sedentary lifestyles. 8: Happy people learn faster When you’re happy and relaxed, you’re much more open to learning new things at work and thereby increasing your productivity. 9: Happy people worry less about making mistakes – and consequently make fewer mistakes When you’re happy at work the occasional mistake doesn’t bother you much. You pick yourself up, learn from it and move on. You also don’t mind admitting to others that you screwed up – you simply take responsibility, apologize and fix it. This relaxed attitude means that less mistakes are made, and that you’re more likely to learn from them. 10: Happy people make better decisions Unhappy people operate in permanent crisis mode. Their focus narrows, they lose sight of the big picture, their survival instincts kick in and they’re more likely to make short-term, here-and-now choices. Conversely, happy people make better, more informed decisions and are better able to prioritize their work. The upshot Think back to a situation where you felt that you were at peak performance. A situation where your output was among the highest and best it’s ever been. I’m willing to bet that you were working at something that made you happy. Something that you loved doing. There’s a clear link between happiness at work and productivity. This only leaves the question of causation: Does being productive make us happy or does being happy make us productive? The answer is, of course, yes! The link goes both ways. Dr. Robert Puff, Ph.D. is a meditation expert, international speaker, and avid blogger who’s wisdom can be found on http://www.Meditation-Enlightenment.com. Dr. Puff is the creator of the weekly Meditation for Health Podcast, available at http://www.MeditationForHealthPodcast.com. Additionally, he has a weekly podcast that explores the world of Happiness, available at http://www.happinesspodcast.org.
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