How to Make Work More Satisfying
2/26/202616 min
Finding ways to bend tasks toward your strengths and passions can make you happier, more productive and find more meaning in your life—no matter your job.
Summary: On this episode of The Science of Happiness, we explore a research-backed practice in Job Crafting, where you take stock of the tasks that fill your day, how much time and energy they require, what really lights you up, and what changes you can make to better align your efforts at work with your genuine strengths and passions. We learn how Job Crafting doesn’t just benefit your own well...
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First 90 secondsSusan Glass· Guest0:00
[music] I am going to be 68 in a couple months. I have more earthly time behind me than ahead of me. How can I live most gently and most happily, and what would that mean and what would that look like? After the initial relief of retirement, I was, "Well, I've got this bucket list. I've gotta get it all done." And so I was looking at, do I wanna go become a harp therapist or do I wanna go back to school and get a degree? And I also went to every volunteer organization I knew, the California Council of the Blind and others, and I said, "Put me to work. Put me to work. Put me to work." And guess what happened? I found myself with 60-hour weeks, busier than when I was working, and I was not happy. It's time to move from the practice of working to the practice of living, and, ah, it's going to be a battle for me always to feel that if I haven't structured everything, I'm in trouble. Because I have little guilt whips, they're everywhere, you know, and they pop out. They become problematic if you're trying to be a happy person. I want to feel more deeply about everything, and if I can't feel something, I'm not sure I wanna spend my time doing it.
Dacher Keltner· Host1:17
[music] Welcome to The Science of Happiness. I'm Dacher Keltner. And our guest today is Susan Glass,