Let Motivation be your Guide
Introduction
There is a recurring theme in the various streams of work I produce - the problem with language. It is of deep interest to me, language. I have formally studied language (i.e., linguistics and literature), I have engaged in waged labour related to language (e.g., language teacher, communication skills coach), and of course I research, write, and produce via this Substack and on podcasts - with language always lighting the way.
When I encounter the more specific problem of a variety of people using the same word to speak to different things, I feel inclined to clarify when I then deploy that language. This post is my attempt to highlight actions you can take to feel happier with your work - note the use of ‘er’. It is relative and a comparison to a different, less happy You.
The Science of Happiness
In a departure from studying illness, dysfunction, and general malaise, there exists a branch of psychology called Positive Psychology. It’s the scientific study of factors which enable individuals and communities to thrive. The field is founded on the belief that people want to lead meaningful and fulfilling lives, to cultivate what’s best within themselves, and to enhance their experiences of love, work, and play (PPC, 2025). Although the current version was developed around 1998 (Seligman et al., 2005), you could argue that the philosophical and scientific investigation of happiness has been with us across millennia.
There are a couple of well-developed, well-researched theories and frameworks if you’re interested in knowing more. One example includes one called PERMA which suggests there are five building blocks that enable flourishing, and that each can be increased. PERMA is an acronym for Positive emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment. The theory goes - if you engage in strategies to strengthen these building blocks, you will improve your wellbeing (Ibid.).
A meta-analysis conducted a little over a decade ago found that 3 ~ 6 months after a Positive Psychology Intervention, the effects on subjective well-being and psychological well-being remained statistically significant. Some examples of the interventions studied include: gratitude practices, kindness practices, goal-setting, and personal strengths development (Bolier et al., 2013).
Things may get somewhat tricky when attempting to define ‘happiness’ as it’s such a subjective, cultural, and temporal construct. When something has too many moving parts, it is sometimes useful to identify an aspect and then work within that more manageable space. With that in mind, let’s turn to motivation.
Why Motivation?
Motivational theories have developed as the validated constructs have repeatedly indicated a positive relationship with wellbeing. What that means is - over time, rigorous science study has yielded consistent results which indicate the two are related. Another reason this is a useful entry point is that motivation (as part of a study) is more likely to be done in a context - like work, for example. This will also help to shape a more concrete and applicable version of ‘happiness’ for us.
Let’s consider a few different ways of organising motivation first:
intrinsic: come from within the individual
extrinsic: provided by factors outside the individual
autonomous: experience of volition, a self-endorsement of one’s actions
controlled: consists of both external regulation, in which one’s behavior is a function of external contingencies of reward or punishment, and introjected regulation, in which the regulation of action has been partially internalized
(Ryan & Deci, 2000)
Perhaps the most useful takeaway from separating out different types of motivation is coming to better understand how you are pushed and pulled by a variety of factors. One way to reduce that understanding down to a set of impactful actions is to increase our motivation. We can do this by improving our sense of connection, autonomy, and competence.
Activities
In what ways can I develop better connections?
This will require a certain amount of pro-active behaviour on your end. Contemporary careers and means of communication have left little space for quality connections with others. Whatever action you choose, remember that it will take time, consistency, and something shared for a connection to survive.
Start with small-scale shared purpose - what small thing do you wish to do, and who would be likewise interested?
Look around at what you already have and expand or evolve - likely you already are part of groups, teams, pairings, etc. Focus on improving your participation in those spaces
Look outside your team/unit for opportunities to break down silos - this will also support competence development as you will likely learn new skills/knowledge by doing something different
How can I increase my sense of autonomy?
Depending on your industry, organisation, and manager this may be limited. However, in some form or another, engage in job crafting.
That is, make changes in tasks or relational boundaries of your work activity
task crafting - altering the number, scope, or type of tasks)
relational crafting - altering the quality or amount of interaction with others in your job
cognitive crafting - altering how you view your job
This approach can be supported by a coach, mentor, or informal group. During your shared time together, you can design a plan with specific job crafting goals, such as how to seek resources, how to reduce demands,and how to seek appropriate challenges. (Blustein et al., 2022; Van Den Heuvel et al., 2015)
In what skill or knowledge area do I wish to have more competence?
Looking forward a little will help narrow what could be a very long list of skills and knowledge you wish to develop. A great way to do this is to find job adverts for what you wish to do in a few years time, and identify where your gaps are. What skills and knowledge are you currently unable to demonstrate? How can you start building them? Consider formal learning options, informal learning options, projects that will become future examples in interviews, etc. Think ‘slow and steady’ for your learning and development choices. The ability to feel and demonstrate competence has an enormous impact on your wellbeing. I recommend always having a place in your weekly schedule committed to the learning process.
Final Thoughts
Happiness is a strange word. It is also a strange expectation to have in relation to your waged production. Rather than trying to be ‘happy’ at work, you might instead focus on that which motivates you and what science tells us works best in that space.
You might even feel happier for it.
Works Cited
Blustein, D. L., Lysova, E. I., & Duffy, R. D. (2022). Understanding decent work and meaningful work. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 10(1), 289–314. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-031921-024847
Bolier, Linda; Haverman, Merel; Westerhof, Gerben J; Riper, Heleen; Smit, Filip; Bohlmeijer, Ernst (2013). "Positive psychology interventions: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies". BMC Public Health. 13 (1): 119. doi:10.1186/1471-2458-13-119
Ryan RM, Deci EL. Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. Am Psychol. 2000 Jan;55(1):68-78. doi: 10.1037//0003-066x.55.1.68. PMID: 11392867.
Seligman, Martin E. P.; Steen, Tracy A.; Park, Nansook; Peterson, Christopher (July 2005). "Positive Psychology Progress: Empirical Validation of Interventions". American Psychologist. 60 (5): 410–421. doi:10.1037/0003-066X.60.5.410
Van Den Heuvel, M., Demerouti, E., & Peeters, M. C. W. (2015). The job crafting intervention: Effects on job resources, self‐efficacy, and affective well‐being. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 88(3), 511–532. https://doi.org/10.1111/joop.12128