I am a big fan of The Atlantic Magazine, in fact it is the only magazine I still subscribe to in print (that thought does make me sad). I find the articles to be thought provoking; intellectually stimulating; and often fun to read. I have also come to be a voracious reader of anything written by Arthur C. Brooks. Brooks is a contributing writer at The Atlantic, the William Henry Bloomberg professor of the practice of public leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School, and a professor of management practice at the Harvard Business School. Brooks writes a column about pointing yourself toward happiness called “How to Build a Life”. One of the recent columns was focused on the Secret to Happiness at Work and is worth a read. One key takeaway for me was this statement:

But this belief is based on a misunderstanding of what brings job satisfaction. To be happy at work, you don’t have to hold a fascinating job that represents the pinnacle of your educational achievement or the most prestigious use of your “potential,” and you don’t have to make a lot of money. What matters is not so much the “what” of a job, but more the “who” and the “why”: Job satisfaction comes from people, values, and a sense of accomplishment.

I encourage you to give this one a read as you think about what is important to you. As Brooks says “when we know the secrets to a career that is truly satisfying, work really can be a joy.” Happy Reading Y’All!