--- title: Love What You Do: 4 Things That Will Make You Happier at Work description: Sometimes your job can really be a grind — but quitting isn’t always a realistic option. So what can you do to become happier with... canonical: https://time.com/2814414/love-what-you-do-4-things-that-will-make-you-happier-at-work/ author: Eric Barker article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-06-03T04:01:05.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T04:43:10.492Z article:section: Ideas og:title: Love What You Do: 4 Things That Will Make You Happier at Work og:description: Sometimes your job can really be a grind — but quitting isn’t always a realistic option. So what can you do to become happier with... og:url: https://time.com/2814414/love-what-you-do-4-things-that-will-make-you-happier-at-work/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt17f22e80104be45e/698695de3bc99966d71a3e10/127540653.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4594 og:image:height: 2584 og:image:alt: 127540653 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Love What You Do: 4 Things That Will Make You Happier at Work twitter:description: Sometimes your job can really be a grind — but quitting isn’t always a realistic option. So what can you do to become happier with... twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt17f22e80104be45e/698695de3bc99966d71a3e10/127540653.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Love What You Do: 4 Things That Will Make You Happier at Work > Sponsored content. 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It explains how TIME's journalism is made, from the first pitch through the editorial decisions behind a finished story or cover. #### How can I read about how TIME chooses its covers? Inside TIME is the newsletter where TIME's Editor-in-Chief explains cover selection and the editorial reasoning behind major stories. It is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Who is the editor of TIME? Sam Jacobs is TIME's Editor-in-Chief. He writes Inside TIME, a twice-weekly newsletter about the newsroom's reporting and editorial decisions. #### Is Inside TIME free? Yes. Inside TIME is a free newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and available at time.com/subscribe-agent. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-inside-2026q3/newsletters?i=3034b23e-47b9-420b-95f2-c102b81eb01b&cr=time-nl-inside-2026q3-v1) by [Eric Barker](https://time.com/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker Jun 3, 2014 4:01 AM UTC  Businessman jumping for joy on city street. Businessman jumping for joy on city street. Andy Ryan—Getty Images by [Eric Barker](https://time.com/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker Jun 3, 2014 4:01 AM UTC Sometimes [your job](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2013/06/what-should-you-do-with-your-life/) can really be a grind — but quitting isn’t always a realistic option. So what can you do to become [happier](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/08/here-are-the-things-that-are-proven-to-make-y/) with the job you have? **Here are four stories from the latest research that can make your job more meaningful and make you happier at the office.** ## Change Your Job Description Cleaning the floors in a hospital isn’t anyone’s dream job. Emptying trash cans in patient rooms doesn’t feel special or important. But what if you had the same responsibilities and chose to see your work in a broader context? _I’m helping this hospital run better and my work allows these patients to heal and return to their families._ A study did just that — comparing workers who saw their jobs as merely a paycheck versus seeing it as something deeper. **And those who saw their cleaning duties as contributing to the health of the patients felt their jobs were more meaningful.** Via [Choose the Life You Want: The Mindful Way to Happiness](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008NF01F8/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B008NF01F8&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20): --- > “” --- **How do you see your job? Is there a better — but still honest — lens to see it through that would make you happier?** (More on meaning in life [here](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2013/03/4-steps-meaningful-life/).) ## See The Results Working in a call center can be thankless and tedious. What does it take to make people feel good about endless dialing and frequent hang-ups? Wharton professor [Adam Grant](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2013/04/interview-wharton-business-school-professor-teaches-approach-give/) did research trying to motivate employees at a university call center. **He was able to create a dramatic increase in motivation without giving raises, promotions, bonuses or spending a dime.** **How?** **He showed them letters written by grateful students who had received scholarships due to the efforts of the call center team.** What pushed their motivation even higher? Speaking with those students. Via [Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AFPTSI0/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00AFPTSI0&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20): --- > “” --- **Are you in a cube cut off from the results of your labor? Is there any way you could better see how your work helps customers?** (More on motivation [here](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/12/motivate-you/).) ## Use Your Strengths You probably do a range of activities at work and some of those duties might be shared with other team members. Do you have some flexibility over which tasks you handle and which your co-workers cover? If so, you can dramatically improve your happiness. Don’t pick the tasks that are quick or easy. **Offer to do all the things you’re good at.** **The research is conclusive: doing what you’re good at** [**is the key to happiness**](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/11/secret-happy-home-fulfilled-work/)**:** --- > “” --- A dictionary update is just a list of words. It's also a testament to who English-speakers are and how we see ourselves A job that lets you use your talents makes you [consistently happier](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/08/whats-the-secret-to-loving-your-job/) at the office: --- > “” --- Using your strengths daily can make you significantly happier _for months_. Via [The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307591549/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=spacforrent-20): --- > “” --- **What responsibilities that you’re weak at could someone else handle? What could you do that leverages your strengths?** (More on “signature strengths” [here](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2013/09/knowing-yourself/).) ## ## Invest Yourself You can learn a lot about loving your job by looking at IKEA furniture. Seriously. Why is IKEA furniture so popular? **Research shows we love things more when we invest ourselves in them.** You built that _Lovbacken_ side table with your own two hands. It’s your creation. Behold the mind-bending Svengali power of Swedish furniture. In [my interview](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2013/03/interview-nyt-bestselling-author-dan-ariely-talks/) with Duke professor Dan Ariely author of [Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061353248/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0061353248&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20) he explained: --- > “” --- If I put a random child in your house and told you to support it, you’d say “No way.” If it was your kid, you’d support it and more — your happiness would be tied to the child’s well-being. Being invested in something makes us care more and, as [Dan explained](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2013/03/interview-nyt-bestselling-author-dan-ariely-talks/), research shows it doesn’t take all that much to get us caring: --- > “” --- Invest your time and energy in building that _Karlskoga_ sofa bed and you come away loving it. The more you do for your kids, the more you want to do for them. **Invest more in your career and you can find yourself loving that too.** **Join 45K+ readers.** Get a free weekly update via email [here](http://eepurl.com/o6uAD). Related posts: [What 10 things should you do every day to improve your life?](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/05/what-10-things-should-you-do-every-day-to-imp/) [6 hostage negotiation techniques that will get you what you want](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2013/06/hostage-negotiation/) [8 Things The World’s Most Successful People All Have In Common](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2013/12/successful-people/) _This piece originally appeared on_ [_Barking Up the Wrong Tree_](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/)_._ ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/2814414/love-what-you-do-4-things-that-will-make-you-happier-at-work/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/2814414/love-what-you-do-4-things-that-will-make-you-happier-at-work/"},"headline":"Love What You Do: 4 Things That Will Make You Happier at Work","datePublished":"2014-06-03T04:01:05.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T04:43:10.492Z","description":"Sometimes your job can really be a grind — but quitting isn’t always a realistic option. 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