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Working Towards Happiness
"Working Towards Happiness" is a category of essays regarding work-based productivity and time management patterns.
My approach to work-life balance is inspired and informed by these patterns. They are derived from personal experiences, and cross referenced with (hopefully) reputable sources. In sharing, I hope to provide a foundation for my collaboration with others, and a place for me to refine ideas about working happily.
Life Is a Journey, Not a Destination
Zen rocks.Flickr, @hynkle
Over my brief 18 year history of working professionally, I have noticed there are certain productivity patterns which give me a sensation of zen. Not in the form of instant gratification. But rather, in that "life is a journey, not a destination", sustainable satisfaction sort of way. Likewise, there have been instances of anti-patterns where my creativity, or productivity, were negatively impacted. Reflecting on those less ideal instances, are also opportunities for adaptation and growth.
My insights are drawn primarily from working as a software developer crafting web based applications, and from my experiences building & leading teams of up to 10 technical & creative professionals. I'd like to think that these essays could be of interest to anyone in a discipline which requires a digital work product, critical thinking, and collaboration.
However, what makes someone happy and productive is slightly different for everyone. Only I can define and discover what resonates with me, and only you know what works best for you.
Working Better Together
Fishermen on a similar journey, in their own ways.Flickr, Egon Philipp
These entries have been made public so that when peers and co-workers come across it - they will know a bit more about how I work, my thought process and what motivates me. By sharing, my hope is this will help you and I work better together. For anyone else who comes across these essays, hopefully what I consider to be insights are worth the investment of time it took you to read them.
Learning Along the Way
A little secret: I don't have it all figured out. These typed words are stored on a web server somewhere, and are not written in stone. They are malleable. Just like you and I. I'm learning along the way - always learning. Another secret: so is everyone else.
The world is always changing, and what used to work may no longer work the same as it used to. As such - these are just my opinions, and are subject to change as I grow and change.
In the mean time, I will be holding these essays up in the mirror, and using them as a tool to adjust my trajectory.
How to gain, how to keep, how to recover happiness is in fact for most men at all times the secret motive of all they do, and of all they are willing to endure.
William James, The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Nature
Topics
- 7 Paths to Work Zen
- Developing Remotely with Brian
- Artifacts of Productivity & Communication
- My Humble Little Home Office
As I post new topics on this subject, I will be adding them to this list. Thanks for reading!