The work you do matters more than you think – and not just for your bank account

There’s good evidence that shows four basic values have the largest impact on our happiness: faith, community, family, and work.

The wise among us have long known that the first three of these play a role in living a long and happy life. 

There’s a growing body of evidence that points to religious folks being happier, and more able to recover after tragedy or trauma — not necessarily because of their religion, but because with religion often comes a strong community.

Forty-seven percent of people who report attending a religious service several times per week describe themselves as “very happy,” versus 28 percent of those who attend fewer than once per month.

Family, too, is an obvious corollary with happiness. But work? Media chatter and pop culture may insist that day-jobs are mind-numbing and unengaging, but data says work plays a key role in happiness.

To many, work is merely something you do in exchange for pay. On the surface, that sounds like an antidote against happiness — especially if it involves doing something that doesn’t align with your values or goals.

Yet most people seem content with their jobs. The General Social Survey — a set of psychological surveys that’s been around for decades — found that 48.9% of people reported being “very satisfied” with their work, and 38.3% reported being “moderately satisfied.” 

As I wrote previously, satisfaction in work can lead to happiness and fulfillment. So where does all that job satisfaction come from? 

Making progress at work is as good a bet as any. Americans who feel successful in their jobs are far more likely to report feeling happy overall. The work, importantly, is something that you can make noticeable gains with, so long as it is approached with the right intention.  

Sure, money is necessary and important to feeling secure in the world. Alleviating financial stress creates happiness, but income itself isn’t a predictor of happiness. Economists have pointed out that once people achieve a middle-class standing, any additional financial milestones have little to no impact on happiness. 

Joblessness, on the other hand, seems to have a direct impact on well-being and happiness. It has even been shown to exacerbate divorce rates and health issues.

Ask yourself — if you were to win the lottery, would you stop working for the rest of your life?

If yes, what would you do all day? 

Without a job, there is no longer obvious progress to make — but it is progress that begets fulfillment and happiness.

The work we do matters largely because it provides structure and an identity for us in a way that is hard to construct on our own. It gives us a set of skills and goals that we can work toward without necessarily having to devise our own path. Even a seemingly menial job can bring meaning if it is done properly and with progress in mind.

“Happiness lies not in the mere possession of money,” Franklin D. Roosevelt said. “It lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort.”

Good work often requires sacrifice. It pushes you to be more than you are, and that should entice you as much if not more than a monetary promise. Framing the work itself as the reward is one way to create a fulfilling job. 

Jeff Bezos famously tells Amazon shareholders each year that it remains “Day 1” for the trillion-dollar company. Bezos loves the work, and has instilled a philosophy of progress into Amazon’s company culture. Every day, in his eyes, is an opportunity to begin a long journey anew.

Work, when approached with a mindset bent on progress, is not something to drag your feet over. It can create lasting happiness, if you allow it to. 

This notion may sound simplified but if taken seriously, it can have an outsized impact on your sense of accomplishment and overall happiness. 

Aim to make progress. Focus on improving your skills and competence. Don’t underestimate what could happen if you were to get better at your job. 

Happiness isn’t about making more time to do relax and lounge. It’s about maximizing how much you can do well, and then noticing your own progress.

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