Work only a paycheque? But what makes us happy?

When I read this article I recognized the "what do i really value?" question . Many of us today expand the role of work beyond just earning a living and expect our careers to provide opportunities for personal growth and fulfillment. But when you ask people directly,  you don’t always get a clear picture of what they really value.

People often have a poor understanding of what makes them happy, and this applies at work, too. Taking a step back to put these findings in perspective, it seems that early on in one’s career, people appreciate a job that will bring future benefits as they continue to perform. The present job may not be ideal, as one tries to balance hard work with enough time to play. In midlife things get generally tougher: It’s harder to balance work and life, and people struggle to make ends meet. But as one gets older, one begins to be more satisfied with one’s present job and also to have more resources to achieve personal aspirations.
The bottom line: Satisfaction at work is influenced by factors such as benefits, pay, relationships, and commute length. But all of this boils down to two things being important, regardless of your circumstances: (1) having a life outside of work, and (2) having the money to afford it. If you have a job that grants you both of these, you might be happier than you realize.

Research by Ran Zilca