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Optimizing your career for happiness

praachi.work

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Re: Optimizing your career for happiness

#11

Post by tonyedgecombe »

matthewsinclair wrote: post #6
purple-leafy wrote: post #3

work 4 days not 5 as money allows Then work 3 days not 4 as money allows Then work 2 days not 3 as money allows …. Then retire

I’ve never really been a fan of the concept of “retirement”. It feels very much like a Silent Generation/ Boomer idea that has run its course (for reasons both good and bad). I watched grandparents on both sides retire and their mental decline tracked their decline in active engagement with meaningful activity. The way I have always looked at it is that want to “retire from _having_ to work” and promote myself to wor…

>I watched grandparents on both sides retire and their mental decline tracked their decline in active engagement with meaningful activity.

It's difficult to know which way the causality goes in those situations.

Anyway you don't need to disengage from meaningful activity just because you retired from work.

Re: Optimizing your career for happiness

#12

Post by npras1 »

For me career happiness translates to these:

time freedom: as an employed guy I know I'm exchanging time for value. But I also get time during the weekends and a few hours outside work. These allow me to think about things outside work, like dabble in learning new things, work on side projects, read a book, do non-career related stuff etc. This is the most basic, and I'd do everything in my power to avoid getting in a situation where I absolutely have no/minimal time freedom. Got bitten by this in the recent past: I simply said yes to people close to me; committing to doing certain things ("I'll build you a shopify store") and then realizing I'd put myself into a hole. Never again family person.

maximizing every chance to be useful to others at work: It's a great feeling when I could help someone and them thanking me for the help. It's silly, I don't need validation to do the work for which I get paid. But when a big part of the work you do goes unnoticed, your ears perk up when the occasional praise comes your way. So that's why I try to teach my juniors some coding trivia at least once a day.

close the week without any debt: Even if there's enough time for a task next week, if I could find the time to do the core work needed for the task this week, then I'd do it. Even if it meant spending an hour or so on the weekend. I just don't like work piling up for the next week.

extract more out of the transaction: yes I get paid for the work I do at my job. But if I choose to, I can get more out of the work. Things I learned at the project, access to specific tech/hardware that'd be difficult to get all by myself etc. Translate these bits into things that can help you. Make them as blog/linkedin posts, learn some new tech with your laptop etc.

Re: Optimizing your career for happiness

#13

Post by tonyedgecombe »

tayo42 wrote: post #5

Easier said then done, which is weird because you would think everyone is on board with optimizing for happiness?

Most people think buying a new car or house will make them happy. It probably does for a short while but they soon get used to it and are back on the treadmill again.

Re: Optimizing your career for happiness

#14

Post by purple-leafy »

matthewsinclair wrote: post #6
purple-leafy wrote: post #3

work 4 days not 5 as money allows Then work 3 days not 4 as money allows Then work 2 days not 3 as money allows …. Then retire

I’ve never really been a fan of the concept of “retirement”. It feels very much like a Silent Generation/ Boomer idea that has run its course (for reasons both good and bad). I watched grandparents on both sides retire and their mental decline tracked their decline in active engagement with meaningful activity. The way I have always looked at it is that want to “retire from _having_ to work” and promote myself to wor…

I agree entirely, by retire I mean “from needing to work” but at that stage I will still be building stuff daily :)

Already at 4 days, only 4 to go!

Re: Optimizing your career for happiness

#16

Post by Traubenfuchs »

chrisdbanks wrote: post #2

I would also add to this. Aligning your personal goals with your company's mission can be a game-changer in achieving both professional success and personal fulfillment. When your values and objectives resonate with those of your employer, every project becomes more meaningful, and motivation naturally increases. Your personal goals become much easier to achieve, and you have more fun achieving the company goals beca…

This makes me wonder, as a misanthropic European software engineer, what would be the best way to get into the weapons or (governmental) surveillance industry?

Re: Optimizing your career for happiness

#17

Post by anon22981 »

Traubenfuchs wrote: post #16
chrisdbanks wrote: post #2

I would also add to this. Aligning your personal goals with your company's mission can be a game-changer in achieving both professional success and personal fulfillment. When your values and objectives resonate with those of your employer, every project becomes more meaningful, and motivation naturally increases. Your personal goals become much easier to achieve, and you have more fun achieving the company goals beca…

This makes me wonder, as a misanthropic European software engineer, what would be the best way to get into the weapons or (governmental) surveillance industry?

I’m not sure what kind of an answer you are looking for, but a simple one is to apply for jobs in the fields you are interested in.

Re: Optimizing your career for happiness

#18

Post by PradeetPatel »

Traubenfuchs wrote: post #16
chrisdbanks wrote: post #2

I would also add to this. Aligning your personal goals with your company's mission can be a game-changer in achieving both professional success and personal fulfillment. When your values and objectives resonate with those of your employer, every project becomes more meaningful, and motivation naturally increases. Your personal goals become much easier to achieve, and you have more fun achieving the company goals beca…

This makes me wonder, as a misanthropic European software engineer, what would be the best way to get into the weapons or (governmental) surveillance industry?

It really depends on the level of seniority.

If you are applying for a junior role, I don't know much about Europe, but in India the defence and security sector often have internship programmes for university students.

Alternatively, same as all other jobs, keep your eye open and make sure your CV and cover letter is catered towards the job.

You don't need to be a misanthrope to work in defence and security. Despite the bad PR, it's comforting knowing that your work is making the world a safer place.

Re: Optimizing your career for happiness

#19

Post by e4325f »

Traubenfuchs wrote: post #16
chrisdbanks wrote: post #2

I would also add to this. Aligning your personal goals with your company's mission can be a game-changer in achieving both professional success and personal fulfillment. When your values and objectives resonate with those of your employer, every project becomes more meaningful, and motivation naturally increases. Your personal goals become much easier to achieve, and you have more fun achieving the company goals beca…

This makes me wonder, as a misanthropic European software engineer, what would be the best way to get into the weapons or (governmental) surveillance industry?

Add /s for the Americans, it'll go over their heads otherwise!
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