When interviewing people who were both very productive, and enjoyed work immensely, they turned out to be remarkably similar in terms of the emotional content of how they related to tasks. Here are the 5 emotions that can make work productive and enjoyable:
Unqualified Desire
Definition: Wanting the outcome of your task without reservation. Wanting to do the task without reservation.
Questions:
What’s bad about this outcome or task?
How can I remove the bad aspects?
Resolve
Definition: A sense that “I will do this task”. As opposed to Unqualified Desire, which is a sense that “I want this outcome.”
Questions:
How do I feel currently about the project or task?
How will I feel once the project or task is done?
How can I make that difference real to myself?
Playfulness
Definition: A sense of intrinsic enjoyment for your task.
Questions:
What is the nearest state to what I’m currently feeling, that includes a sense of enjoyment?
What does a task need for it to be intrinsically enjoyable to me?
Which of those things can I add to this task to most quickly get to that Nearest Playful State?
Meaning
Definition: A sense that you’re connected to your deepest values when doing a task.
Questions:
What is the nearest state to what I’m currently feeling, that includes a sense of Meaning?
What are my values?
Which of those values can I tie to this task, to more quickly get to that Nearest Meaningful State
Intentionality
Definition: A state where you feel as if you choosing to do what you want to do, when you want to do it.
Questions:
What is the nearest state to what I’m currently feeling, that includes a sense of Intentionality?
What can I do to move myself into that state?
Is that something I’ll actually do from my current state?
When interviewing people who were both very productive, and enjoyed work immensely, they turned out to be remarkably similar in terms of the emotional content of how they related to tasks. Here are the 5 emotions that can make work productive and enjoyable:
Unqualified Desire
Definition: Wanting the outcome of your task without reservation. Wanting to do the task without reservation.
Questions:
What’s bad about this outcome or task?
How can I remove the bad aspects?
Resolve
Definition: A sense that “I will do this task”. As opposed to Unqualified Desire, which is a sense that “I want this outcome.”
Questions:
How do I feel currently about the project or task?
How will I feel once the project or task is done?
How can I make that difference real to myself?
Playfulness
Definition: A sense of intrinsic enjoyment for your task.
Questions:
What is the nearest state to what I’m currently feeling, that includes a sense of enjoyment?
What does a task need for it to be intrinsically enjoyable to me?
Which of those things can I add to this task to most quickly get to that Nearest Playful State?
Meaning
Definition: A sense that you’re connected to your deepest values when doing a task.
Questions:
What is the nearest state to what I’m currently feeling, that includes a sense of Meaning?
What are my values?
Which of those values can I tie to this task, to more quickly get to that Nearest Meaningful State
Intentionality
Definition: A state where you feel as if you choosing to do what you want to do, when you want to do it.
Questions:
What is the nearest state to what I’m currently feeling, that includes a sense of Intentionality?
What can I do to move myself into that state?
Is that something I’ll actually do from my current state?