Small wins can drive happiness at work.
With the huge transitions in how, when and where work is happening, we are at a reckoning point—with the vast majority of people demanding greater happiness and fulfillment on the job. In the midst of rising expectations, there is a little-known way to create joyful work experiences—that is both compelling and proven with research. It’s the power of using small wins.
Unfortunately, significant numbers of people experience stress, malaise and burnout in their work—and this has implications for wellbeing, esteem, performance and even happiness outside of work.
But you can get beyond the negative and create positive experiences and outcomes.
Making Progress Makes Us Happy
Work includes good days and bad days, naturally. But when you ask people what constitutes their best days versus their worst days at work, the single-most important factor is feeling like you’re making progress. Small steps, moving things forward and feeling positively about accomplishments make a huge difference in happiness and satisfaction. All this is according to 12,000 reports from people over three years in reserach performed by Harvard.
And people’s best days at work included advancing goals, doing meaningful work and making a difference. People also said that feeling proud of their work and having positive experiences with coworkers mattered most, according to a global survey by Woohoo.
And people didn’t need to be doing big things to feel successful. Even if they weren’t curing cancer or solving world peace, people felt greater wellbeing when they had small wins.
Using Small Wins for Happiness at Work
You can leverage the power of small wins by taking a few key steps—and increasing your joy at work in the process.
1. Set Goals for Happiness at Work
One of the first things you can do to realize small wins is to think about what you want, aspiring toward the future and setting goals. You don’t necessarily have to use a fancy goal-setting framework, you can just consider what’s important to you and turn your energy in that direction.
Perhaps you want to learn a new skill at work or build to the next promotion. Maybe you want to get more done in less hours so you have more time for family. All of these are worthy goals, of course, and just setting your intention toward something that is meaningful for you will contribute to your wellbeing.
The Harvard research found that intrinsic motivations made for better days at work. And striving toward goals that are important to you personally, is linked with better wellbeing and accomplishment, according to meta-analysis by the University of Zurich. This is partly because of the structure and meaning that arise from your goals, and partly because of the process of pursuing them.
To achieve small wins, reflect on what’s important, clarify the direction you want to go, commit and take positive action. All of these will give you the sense of winning—even in small ways—and bring you greater happiness at work.
Setting goals and taking action contribute to happiness at work.
2. Be Proactive and Persevere for Happiness at Work
To create small wins, you can also take initiative. When you are curious and confident—and when you suggest improvements and take control where you can, you’re demonstrating proactivity, according to the Journal of Vocational Behavior.
And when you empower yourself to take action, you tend to land more promotions, experience career growth and make more money, according to research published in the Journal of Vocational Behavior and the Journal of Applied Psychology.
People who had their best day at work reported they had freedom to work in their own way, according to data from Woohoo. And when you persevere, sticking with things with dedication, determination and persistence in the face of challenges, you’ll experience greater outcomes, but also better mental health, according to research in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology.
To achieve small wins, look for places where your work process can be improved and take charge to make changes. Make your own choices and exert control. Solve problems and be proactive as part of your work process—and persevere through difficulties.
3. Reflect and Track Your Progress for Happiness at Work
Another surefire way to feel a greater sense of progress is to reflect regularly. Consider what you did well and what you accomplished. Especially if you’re doing knowledge work, progress can be elusive.
But if you are intentional about thinking at the end of each day or each week about the progress you made, you’ll likely feel better about your work and have the opportunity to validate ways you moved forward, even in intangible ways.
To achieve small wins, find ways to track your progress. Avoid counting or measuring elements of your work with less impact. Instead, record the things you delivered to others, efforts that were linked with your goals and work that demonstrated your value. Monitoring your own progress contributes to your esteem and your sense of winning.
4. Play to Your Strengths for Happiness at Work
Another way to realize small wins in pursuit of happiness is to do things you’re good at.
Fascinating research finds that people had better days at work when they used their strengths during their work day. In addition, they reported having more energy and excellent quality of life. And they were 57% less likely to experience burnout. All of this is according to data from Gallup.
And when people had their best day at work, they said they had done work they were proud of and work they enjoyed, according to Woohoo data.
To achieve small wins, reflect on what you’re good at and seek work that aligns with your capabilities. Let your team and your leader know where you excel and ask for assignments that make the best use of your capabilities.
5. Build Relationships for Happiness at Work
Another hallmark of people who had their best day at work was having fun with teammates and making a difference for others, according to data from Woohoo. And those who build strong networks tend to benefit from greater success at work, according to research published in Frontiers in Psychology.
To achieve small wins, get to know your teammates, follow through on tasks and deliver results to coworkers so they can keep their work moving forward. In addition, express gratitude when others help you or deliver great results.
All of these will build a culture of connectedness, responsibility to each other and appreciation across the organization—contributing to positive experiences.
Big Happiness Based on Small Wins
When you have your best day at work, there are obvious benefits. In fact, 71% of people said a great work experience gave them more energy, and 62% felt more relaxed and less stressed, according to Woohoo.
But you didn’t need data to know that. When you’re happier at work, you’ll feel greater wellbeing, connectedness and vigor—and it will spill over into your personal life as well.
Perhaps most important is knowing that you are empowered to take action to achieve small wins and create the conditions for joy at work.
