As we enter a new year, it’s a good time to reassess how we think about work. That’s why a startling revelation about what makes us happy is a powerful place to begin 2010.

According to Sonja Lyubomirsky, the science of happiness has changed dramatically in recent times:

As an experimental social psychologist who has been studying happiness for almost 20 years, I’m often asked, “What makes people happy?” Until a few years ago, my answer always reflected the common wisdom and empirical findings in my field – “It’s relationships, stupid.” That is, I always responded that our interpersonal ties – the strength of our friendships, familial bonds, and intimate connections – show the highest correlations with well-being.

Imagine my surprise then, after Ed Diener, Laura King, and I conducted a meta-analysis (a “study of studies”) of 225 studies of well-being. I wholly expected to discover that social relationships – more than any other variable – would be both causes and consequences of being happy. However, what I observed was something rather different. One factor towered over relationships in its connection with happiness. That factor was work.

This message flies in the face of popular notions about work. A popular saying advises us to “work to live, but do not live to work.” Many warn about the dangers of burnout. The immensely popular movie Fight Club (based on Chuck Palahniuk’s 1996 novel of the same name) includes the legendary quote “you are not your job.” Why would would a leading social psychologist be telling us otherwise?

Lyubormisky goes on to explain:

The evidence, for example, demonstrates that people who have jobs distinguished by autonomy, meaning and variety – and who show superior performance, creativity, and productivity – are significantly happier than those who don’t.

The Methodology Blog has a long history of covering the relationship between productivity and satisfaction. As the Psychology Today continues, the two are inextricably connected:

The story doesn’t end there, however. Studies reveal that the causal direction between happiness and work runs both ways. Not only do creativity and productivity at the office make people happy, but happier people have been found to be more creative and productive. They are better “organizational citizens” (going above and beyond their job duties), better negotiators, and are less likely to take sick days, to quit, or to suffer burnout.

If you’re looking for a resolution for 2010, try this on for size: Allow yourself to enjoy work, and  acknowledge that satisfaction will lead to greater productivity. There is power in being conscious about what you do. Come to Slaughter Development’s “How NOT To Make New Year’s Resolutions at Work” on Wednesday, January 6 at 2:00PM. Register today!

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