How to be happier at work, according to author who interviewed over 100 workers
Simone Stolzoff spent much of his 20s in search of the perfect job, only to realize that such a thing did not, and could never, exist.
As Stolzoff recalls, he didn't just want a job that paid the bills — he craved a "vocational soulmate," a 9-to-5 gig that was a unique reflection of who he was: his ambitions, interests and purpose in life.
If this sounds like a familiar problem, it's because it is. Work is one of the most common sources of meaning in life for adults around the world, the Pew Research Center has found, and in some countries, eclipsing faith and friends.
For white-collar professionals in particular, our jobs have become "akin to a religious identity: in addition to a paycheck, they provide meaning, community and a sense of purpose," Stolzoff writes in his new book, "The Good Enough Job."
Stolzoff shelved his earlier career dreams of becoming a diplomat, lawyer or poet to work as a journalist and designer in San Francisco. He wrote "The Good Enough Job" to answer a question he had asked himself over and over: "If we want to be happy, how can we emotionally disentangle ourselves from work? When is it good enough?"
As part of his quest, Stolzoff interviewed over 100 workers between 2020 and 2023, including ex-Google engineers, Michelin-starred chefs, burned-out teachers and kayak guides in Alaska.
The people who were happiest in their careers, he discovered, all shared the same approach to work: They all had a strong sense of who they were when they were off the clock.
Source: CNBC
