It may not come as a surprise to hear that support in the workplace and a positive attitude are the keys to a successful life. Although this notion is true, you might wonder in what order this combination needs to occur to achieve the desired results.
Achieving Entrepreneurial Happiness
We studied the connection between happiness and success, along with the importance of support for female entrepreneurs. We'll provide actionable advice to help small business owners gain the support, happiness, and success that comes from hard work.
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Happiness in the Workplace
A study by Sonja Lyubomirsky (University of California, Riverside) and Laura King (University of Missouri-Columbia) explored many factors pertaining to happiness. Some of these include the correlation between support, happiness, and success.
They concluded that happiness ultimately leads to overall well-being, which in turn affects not only success, but the ability to find the necessary support to become successful.
You could say that positivity breeds positive outcomes and you would be correct. In the case of happiness, a positive attitude seems to be the cure to many of life’s ailments: managing challenges, emotions, work stress, health, and interpersonal relationships.
A key element that happiness produces is support from others. This priceless commodity is very important in the business world, as people’s productivity is only as strong as their team’s support level in the workplace.
What Is Support?
Women entrepreneurs face even bigger challenges than their male and female working counterparts. It is important to keep a happy-go-lucky frame of mind to stay focused and attract the necessary support to start and successfully maintain a business.
If you explore correlation and causality in terms of remaining positive and happy with the belief that anything is possible, chances are that you will be able to find ways to support and achieve your goals. We can call this optimism, but a bit of hard work is also needed to carry out the intention of succeeding.
When we are happy, we’re more likely to work harder, solve complex problems, and attract people who could become useful resources. This translates into much-needed support.
Support can come in many different forms:
- Family and friends
- Financial
- Co-workers
- Mentors
- Events
- Resources
- Investors
- Work environment
- Community or social support
- Entrepreneurs
- Side hustle
- Other women
The greatest predictor of happiness during times of high stress is social support, according to a Harvard study by Phil Stone and Tal Ben-Shahar.
It is no wonder that women encounter so many benefits to joining groups that promote, inspire, and motivate success in the world of female entrepreneurship.
It helps that the societal perception and expectations of women have changed, which may be evident by the rise in female entrepreneurship. This increase in female-owned businesses not only provides hope for women to strive for and achieve their goals, but has empowered women to do away with fear and follow this path.
With many support systems in place, it is possible for women to attain happiness, reduce obstacles, and succeed.
How Is Happiness Defined in the Workplace?
Happiness is subjective and can be fleeting. So how exactly is happiness achieved in the workplace? Various studies have been carried out to answer this question and here’s what they have concluded:
- Challenging work
- Non-repetitive tasks
- Using one’s knowledge
One of the main predictors of a happy work life is being challenged. Many people feel supported at work when the actual projects they are working on require some thought. This type of work allows others to feel like they have something to contribute beyond normal expectations.
Repetitive tasks are creativity killers. This type of redundant work eliminates the opportunity to show your potential. It also may lead to doing the bare minimum since it can easily result in boredom and burnout.
It’s no wonder that using your knowledge is included in this list, since this leads to projects where a person’s set of skills, interests, and level of intelligence are utilized. Additionally, it makes people feel valued.
Defining Success in Relation to Happiness
Success is different for everyone, so why address it in the first place? The short answer is because it is relevant and may affect happiness. The more complex answer is that it’s more of a bidirectional concept that interacts with a person’s emotional state of being; if someone doesn’t feel successful, it may hinder his or her happiness.
The inverse is that if someone is not happy, he or she may not become successful. Essentially, success is dependent on your mindset and the way you feel emotionally.
As previously stated, studies have shown that your ability to succeed positively correlates to happiness. A positive state of mind leads to creating opportunities and solving complicated tasks.
When you are happy, you are able to counter negative thoughts, which can be seen as roadblocks. Essentially, you can find a way around the problem by seeking support in whatever form it may be available.
Happy Women Entrepreneurs and Success
Success is a term that can only be defined by the individual experiencing it. This can mean various things:
- Business ownership
- Making your own hours
- Work-life balance
- Having a reasonable salary
- Community involvement
- Following your passion
Many people dream of being their own boss; this isn’t such a far-fetched idea, since we all have varying skills and talents. Whatever sets you apart can be your strength in creating the next great business idea or exploring something new that will further develop your skills.
Running your own business gives you the liberty to make your own hours and hire the right people who can strengthen your weaknesses. This type of freedom is priceless, since it can significantly adjust your work-life balance.
You can work as much or as little as you want and grow the business at your own pace. It’s solely up to you, but remember as a general rule that the harder you work, the bigger the rewards.
With more time on your hands, you’ll be able to provide support for others. This is important if helping your community is key. Studies have shown that helping others leads to life satisfaction and happiness.
Only your experiences, passions, and skills can determine what type of business is right to pursue. Consider hobbies and other familiar areas and see if there’s a need for your idea. After all, if you’re happy with the daily type of work you do, it shouldn’t completely feel like work. In the end, you’ll be much happier and successful.
If a high income means success to you, make sure to research what type of industries will give you the best results in this area. Perhaps you’ve done consulting or finance for years and it might be time to start a consulting firm of your own.
It’s important to align yourself with a business idea that stems from prior knowledge, follows your natural abilities, or both.
Making Things Happen
Remember, if you want to start your own business, there are always people willing to provide useful advice based on their experiences.
People enjoy talking about topics they are familiar with, so ask other entrepreneurs to help you understand what types of challenges they’ve encountered and how they overcame them. Chances are, they will share even more valuable information so you can continue on the right track. There are also many resources available to help you get started.
Overall, we all have what it takes to become entrepreneurs; the question is: Are you ready and willing to stay positive, ask for help, and work hard to achieve your goals?
In this day and age, it’s easy to remain happy to attract and find all the necessary resources to succeed. Who needs luck when you can create your own happiness? Everything else — including success — should follow.
