Is it too much to say that we will be happy for our working lives? Should we aspire to be happy? Can we change our level of happiness?
These are all big questions to ponder on! But a few things have been bought to mind in recent times that are interesting to reflect on.
This month: Having a plan for a happy future
Our recent online event focusing on the 3rd quarter of life – from 50 to 75 years old – highlighted that universally there is a happiness curve across life. Starting as happy children, getting less happy until around 50 years old and then picking up again to levels of happiness of our childhoods. This is across all nations and worldwide, even where different countries and cultures have a different starting point to happiness, that curve is consistent. Mid life is notoriously a tricky time – think mid life crisis, menopause, caring for children, older family members and shouldering all the financial burdens.
However, one thing that came across in the talk is that planning and thought go such a long way to determining a happy future. Ensuring that you have a plan for that 3rd quarter just as you did in your 2nd quarter – from 25 to 50 years old – is key. Studies in work places have shown that cross generational teams work better, bringing together more diverse ideas and input to projects. One third of the work force is in the 3rd quarter and 2 thirds are in the 2nd quarter so one third of the training budget should be allocated to these older workers to ensure that the workplace is still maximising their potential.
Finding Ikigai was another theme – balancing your passions with what the world needs – iki (life) and gai (value). Work is a really key part of everyone’s life especially when you are in law and have spent so many years building up skills, reputation and experience.
Make sure that at any stage in your career you are maximising that skill and expertise, but also that you have not forgotten that this is meant to be enjoyable and that you as a person should be fulfilled. You may strive to be partner, to be balanced, to be fulfilled, any one of these (or a thousand other criteria) might hold more importance to you, and other people will hold other different values. Make sure you know yours and keep them in mind. We cant be happy every minute of every day but we can ensure that our working lives, on the whole, make us happy.
Having a plan for all stages of your career can really help to ensure that you are happy as the basic calculation of happiness has been determined by Mo Gawdat as Happiness = Events in your life – your expectations. If your perception of life events meets or exceeds your expectations, you will experience happiness, while falling short of those expectations leads to unhappiness.
Therefore by having a plan in place for your career, defining your expectations and focusing on a path to get you there, you can manage your own expectations and really feel happy when you achieve them. Likewise, if you are planning for the end of your career, then the key is making sure that you are in the best role for you to end your career on a high of your own choosing.
