Finding Gratitude and Happiness in Your Engineering Career

You can have it NOW!

Sometimes we feel like we have to reach certain goals or milestones in order for us to feel happy or grateful.

Actually, it can go the other way around.

Being grateful and happy can actually help us make more progress and reach our goals faster.

Crazy, right?

So today, I’ll share some ways you can find gratitude in your career no matter what your current circumstances are, and I will share a book that details the science behind how happiness can be used as an advantage. 

Read on!

In today’s newsletter:

• Find gratitude here and now

• The advantage of happiness for career growth

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CAREER TIPS

The Power of Gratitude to Make Progress in Your Career Journey

In today's fast-paced world, it's common to encounter moments of frustration in our careers and lives. These moments often stem from the feeling that we're not where we want to be, whether it's in terms of success, income, or other goals we've set for ourselves. However, there's a powerful antidote to these negative feelings: gratitude and a focus on progress.

Gratitude is a transformative mindset shift. Instead of fixating on what we lack or what we haven't achieved, it encourages us to appreciate the abundance we enjoy. When we practice gratitude, we start to notice the positive aspects of our careers and personal lives. It's a reminder that even in the midst of challenges, there are many things to be thankful for.

One key advantage of cultivating gratitude is its impact on our overall well-being. Numerous studies have shown that practicing gratitude can lead to increased happiness, reduced stress, and improved mental health. By focusing on what we have and what's going well, we invite positivity into our lives.

Related to this is celebrating progress. Sometimes, in our pursuit of success, we become so fixated on our end goals that we overlook the journey itself. Progress is about recognizing personal and professional growth, no matter how small or incremental it may seem. Every step forward is a testament to our dedication and resilience.

Consider the following examples of areas where you can find gratitude and progress:

1. Relationships: Celebrate the amazing friends and mentors you've gained along the way. These relationships enrich your life and career.

2. Career Advancements: Reflect on any new job or promotion you've attained. These milestones signify your professional growth and potential.

3. Education: If you've completed a degree or certification, acknowledge the hard work and dedication you invested in your education.

4. Personal Life: Whether it's finding love, starting a family, or improving your health and habits, recognize the positive changes in your personal life.

5. Skills: Think about the skills you've developed over time through practice and experience. These skills open doors to new opportunities.

6. Experiences: Recall moments of travel, exploration, and new experiences that have broadened your horizons.

7. Spirituality: If you've deepened your spiritual connection or explored your faith, celebrate the growth in your spiritual life.

8. Transitions: Whether you've moved to a new city or embarked on a new adventure, these transitions provide fresh experiences and opportunities.

9. Helping Others: Consider the times you've offered support to someone in need. Your ability to uplift others is a form of progress in itself.

10. General Positivity: Finally, simply think of anything else positive in your life worth celebrating. These moments collectively contribute to your personal and professional journey.

When we regularly practice gratitude and acknowledge our progress, we build a foundation of happiness and confidence. We begin to believe that if we've made significant strides in the past, there's even more progress and success awaiting us in the future.

What are you grateful for today?

📚 BOOK RECOMMENDATION

The Happiness Advantage: How a Positive Brain Fuels Success in Work and Life by Shawn Achor

Happiness is not the belief that we don’t need to change; it is the realization that we can.

Our most commonly held formula for success is broken. Conventional wisdom holds that once we succeed, we’ll be happy; that once we get that great job, win that next promotion, and lose those five pounds, happiness will follow. But science reveals this formula to be backward: Happiness fuels success, not the other way around. 

Research shows that happy employees are more productive, more creative, and better problem solvers than their unhappy peers. Positive people are significantly healthier and less stressed and enjoy deeper social interaction than the less positive people around them.

Drawing on original research—including one of the largest studies of happiness ever conducted—and work in boardrooms and classrooms across forty-two countries, Shawn Achor shows us how to rewire our brains for positivity and optimism to reap the happiness advantage in our lives, our careers, and even our health. His strategies include:

• The Tetris Effect: how to retrain our brains to spot patterns of possibility so we can see and seize opportunities all around us

• Social Investment: how to earn the dividends of a strong social support network

• The Ripple Effect: how to spread positive change within our teams, companies, and families

 By turns fascinating, hopeful, and timely, The Happiness Advantage reveals how small shifts in our mind-set and habits can produce big gains at work, at home, and elsewhere.