How to Be Happier at Work: Chase Results, Not Money

There is a perception that success in business is all about money and the trappings of wealth. But is the pursuit of cash really how to be happier at work?

Personally, I prefer to chase results.

I set myself goals that challenge and stretch me. I find the hard work and sense of going outside my comfort zone rewarding, which makes me happy in my work.

If I reach the results I was aiming for, there is a sense of accomplishment.

If I don’t, there is an opportunity to see what happened, learn, and improve for next time.

Being results-focused delivers more than the simple pursuit of cash. There is satisfaction in the work, a sense of achievement, and a constant drive to be better.

How to Define Success

Money is important. We all have bills to pay, places we want to go, things we want to do, and stuff we want to buy.

A business must make money to cover its costs and needs profit to expand.

My point is that focusing purely on money as motivation does not lead to what I define as success.

For me, success is in enjoying what I do every day, seeing the people in my organisations flourish, watching an idea develop into a competitive business, and constantly striving to be a better version of myself.

Of course, if you are results-focused and succeed, the money should come.

Show Me the Money

Run your business well and it should make money. That allows you to pay staff and bills, as well as being able to expand.

It also means you make money so that you can treat yourself.

These are good things.

However, measuring success purely by your bank balance is not, in my opinion, how to feel good about your job.

By focusing on other measures of success, other results, you can develop a foundation for long-term prosperity.

You will have measurable targets, engaged and developing staff, and a personal sense of accomplishment.

Focusing on results creates a roadmap for success, for you, your staff, and your business. Follow it, and the money will come.

Results at Work Explained

Obviously, income and profit are Results. So, what do I mean?

Imagine you have a business in a competitive sector. If your main focus is money, are you really targeting success?

Instead, aim for results like brand visibility, customer satisfaction, repeat business, awards and reviews, or new services or products.

These give you clear, defined goals, challenging, focused work to do, and a sense of accomplishment when you get there.

Plus, if you achieve each of those, you will increase custom and, therefore, earn money.

What Makes you Happier?

Aspirational entrepreneurs may dream of Ferraris, yachts, and Caribbean villas. They may believe such trappings of ‘success’ will make them happy.

But do they? Do they make you feel fulfilled as a person? Do they make you feel like you are a positive energy?

Or does the novelty soon wear off? Do you fear ‘losing it all’ if your business suffers a downturn?

If your bank balance defines your success, you live with the constant stress of everything going wrong.

If your definition of success revolves around enjoying each day at work, challenging yourself, helping others develop personally and professionally, and accomplishing tasks, then your happiness is more sustainable and won’t disappear at the first setback.

I’ve had dream cars, VIP treatment, and luxury getaways, which are great. But constantly striving to improve myself, to be a better version of me, is so much more rewarding. And the buzz lasts longer.

I’ll confess that making money used to be enough for me. It was all about the bottom line. Experience has shown me there is so much more to life and work. Adding a new skill or knowledge feels so much more rewarding.

For me, that’s how to be happier at work.

Also, adding skills and setting clear, defined development goals for my business has resulted in more profitability. Money is a result of the work I enjoy doing, not the reason for doing it.

How to Embrace Failure and Be Happier at Work

So, you’ve decided to focus on results other than money, define measurable goals, and strive for long-term development for yourself and your business.

But what if you fail? What if you can’t hit those targets? Surely falling short will not make you happy.

That depends on your outlook. I have experienced failures, both major and minor, and many could have been enough to put me on the ground and keep me there.

Instead, my attitude is that experience is the best teacher. You learn can learn more from failure than success.

If you are prepared to look at what went wrong, learn the lessons, and then try again, you can perceive failure as a positive.

And won’t that make you happier at work? Knowing that even if you fail, you are still moving forward and working towards a better version of yourself?