Passion, not stress, makes people more productive.

Dreading Monday every week?

Well, you’re not alone.  

Most of us spend more than half of our lives at work doing what we do - round the clock for 9 hours, 5 (or 6) days a week. And more often than not, it is work that is the source of stress and dread.  

It’s really not too much to ask that we feel as if we’re working toward something more than a paycheck alone. How then do we go about finding fulfilling work and being more productive?  

Happiness at work has much less to do with compensation and more to do with overall well-being at the office. When career purpose is clear and, job satisfaction is high, it tends to contribute incredibly to our overall contentment and self-esteem.  

Honestly, the clearer you are on your purpose, the more motivated you will be to work hard and stay focused when inevitable bumps in the road come along.  

Knowing this would also contribute you to a focus on intrinsic goals, such as personal growth, autonomy, and accomplishment, as opposed to external pursuits like money and status. This, in turn, will help increase your self-confidence and grow as you rise to meet the challenges as and when they come.  

Now we know that there is a real connection between being happy and productive.  

What can we do as a leader? Start by igniting the fire inside people. Talk to them. Understand what their best attribute is and ask them their goals? What do they like? Whether their interests overlap with their qualities and further with the company’s goal? 

As an employee, start by understanding not the “what” but the “why” behind the job’s function. Whom your work is serving, and what specific role do you play in making the company achieve its goals.  

The most successful people follow passion, not paychecks. It is the passion that gives us the energy to do what seems impossible, that drives us to learn, excel, and succeed.

Do you agree?

Let me know in the comments below.

******************

Also Read:

• Believe you can and you're halfway there 
• If your dreams don't scare you, they are too small.