Popular sentiments\u00a0that\u00a0encourage\u00a0you to\u00a0find\u00a0your passion\u00a0or work hard,\u00a0make\u00a0a fortune\u00a0and retire\u00a0in luxury\u00a0are\u00a0unhelpful at best. At worst,\u00a0they\u2019re\u00a0demonstrably wrong<\/a>.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n So,\u00a0on this International Day of Happiness, we\u00a0look to\u00a0science to\u00a0answer the question,\u00a0what really makes for a happy career?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Is\u00a0work-life balance\u00a0just about not working\u00a0long\u00a0hours, or is there more to it?\u202f\u00a0The\u00a02017 World Happiness Report<\/a>\u00a0showed that\u00a0work-life balance\u00a0is one of the strongest predictors of happiness across all careers and countries.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n But work-life balance\u00a0isn\u2019t just about escaping the cubicle<\/a>. It means\u00a0prioritizing\u00a0<\/em>other\u00a0areas\u00a0of life alongside work, including family,\u00a0well-being, friends, travel, and more.\u00a0Having the\u00a0freedom and\u00a0flexibility<\/strong> that allows you to devote time to these things is equally\u00a0as\u00a0important\u00a0as\u00a0the\u00a0number of\u00a0hours you\u00a0spend\u00a0working\u202f.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The \u201cprogress principle\u201d is the idea that satisfaction at work derives\nfrom making progress towards meaningful goals.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n Research by Professor Teresa Amabile\u00a0of the Harvard Business School shows that happiness at work derives in large part from a sense of accomplishment<\/strong>.\u202f\u00a0The beauty of this discovery is that it\u2019s incredibly practical. Setting milestones in relation to work and reminding yourself of your purpose, whether it\u2019s to make a positive contribution, develop your skills, or anything else, can suffuse your daily tasks with satisfaction and meaning.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Research shows that human beings\u00a0crave the ability to make their own decisions. We\u00a0need\u00a0to\u00a0feel\u00a0<\/em>that we\u2019re autonomous.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n And big companies are starting to understand this. Google, for example, lets people\u00a0spend 20% of their time on side projects<\/a>.\u00a0More businesses\u00a0than ever before\u00a0are experimenting with remote work<\/strong> and \u201cflexitime\u201d,\u00a0thereby\u00a0allowing employees to exercise control over their schedules.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The\u00a0Harvard Study of Adult Development<\/a>, the largest ever research project into human happiness, concluded that personal relationships are the key to a joyful life.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you consider that the average person will spend thirteen years and two months of their life at work, the need for positive connections with colleagues becomes apparent<\/strong>.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Strong workplace bonds and friendships have been linked to higher productivity and overall well-being<\/a>. This makes it\u00a0more\u00a0important for people to seek careers with companies that foster a supportive community ethos.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Think that money isn\u2019t important? Think again. Research shows that\u00a0financial security is vital to happiness<\/a>.\u202f\u00a0But that\u2019s not the whole picture.\u00a0Once\u00a0a salary exceeds\u00a0$75,000 per year, it\u2019s been shown that there\u2019s no further link between income and emotional wellbeing<\/strong>.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The science suggests that people are happiest when they don\u2019t have\nto worry about money<\/em>, rather than when they have billions in the bank. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Employees are most satisfied at companies that pay them enough (so that\nmoney isn\u2019t a concern), after which autonomy, enjoyment, and great personal\nrelationships become far more important as determiners of our happiness.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n Prepare Yourself for a Fulfilling Career\u202f\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n At EU Business School\u00a0(EU)\u00a0we equip students for a fulfilling\u00a0and meaningful career.\u00a0Our programs will provide you with the tools\u00a0you need to not\u00a0only to\u00a0find a job that you\u2019ll\u00a0enjoy, but to find security, autonomy,\u00a0opportunities for personal development and progression.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whether you\u2019re looking\u00a0to\u00a0specialize\u00a0or kick start your career, we have a course for you. At\u00a0EU we\u00a0offer\u00a0a broad range of\u00a0Bachelors, Masters and MBA programs<\/a>\u00a0on-campus and online.\u00a0Our faculty are working professionals who\u00a0complement academic learning with\u00a0practical\u00a0tips and case studies from their own experience, so that you\u00a0will\u00a0gain\u00a0the insight and guidance you need to\u00a0find happiness in your career.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Scientists have spent years exploring human happiness. Yet despite decades of research, we\u00a0still\u00a0struggle to make\u00a0choices that lead to genuine happiness. Studies show, for example, that Americans are\u00a0getting more and more miserable\u00a0as the years roll by.\u202f\u00a0 We think we know what\u2019s going to make us happy. But we\u2019re often wrong. And this truth applies as much to our work as to any other part of our lives.\u202f Popular sentiments\u00a0that\u00a0encourage\u00a0you to\u00a0find\u00a0your passion\u00a0or work hard,\u00a0make\u00a0a fortune\u00a0and retire\u00a0in luxury\u00a0are\u00a0unhelpful at best. At worst,\u00a0they\u2019re\u00a0demonstrably wrong.\u202f\u00a0 So,\u00a0on this International Day of Happiness, we\u00a0look to\u00a0science to\u00a0answer the question,\u00a0what really makes for a happy career? 1. Work-Life Balance\u00a0 Is\u00a0work-life balance\u00a0just about not […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":27947,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1764],"tags":[795,1657,1456,1440,745],"class_list":["post-27934","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-eu-business-school","tag-happiness-at-work","tag-remote-working","tag-teamwork","tag-work-and-study","tag-working-environment","post--single"],"yoast_head":"\r\n1. Work-Life Balance\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
2. Progress and Learning<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
3. Autonomy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
4. Good Working\u00a0Relationships <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"work](\"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/74158281_1498913143597472_21059358523654144_o-1.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n5. Security\u202f\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"eu](\"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/EU_Generic_750x125.gif\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"