It's obvious that happiness plays a key role in our lives. A study of over 250,000 people found that happiness leads to many positive benefits, including: higher income, more productivity, higher energy, better relationships, and better health. Surprisingly, it's not success that causes happiness, but being happy that tends to lead to success. Studies have identified three common factors that can increase our happiness at work—and in life. Autonomy Employees with autonomy—whether managing their own time or deciding what they work on and when—have greater job satisfaction and report more fulfilling lives. People with high income but little autonomy are usually much less happy than people with low income but control over what they do. Finding ways to control your work with time-management skills and productivity tools can bring peace to your schedule and happiness to your job. Purpose We want to feel that we matter and that we make a difference. Data from 11,000 U.S. workers showed that the strongest predictor of meaningfulness at work was the belief that the job had a positive impact on others. Finding meaning in what you do gives longterm inner satisfaction. Mastery One common habit of people who are happy at work is that they identify their strengths and skills and are committed to continuously improving as a lifetime goal. Acquiring a new skill or improving one you already have is easier than ever thanks to on-demand elearning sites. For example, you can learn: software, leadership, finance, and more whenever and wherever you like and learn from top instructors who meet you where you’re at—beginner, advanced, or anywhere in between—to boost your confidence, keep you happy, and get the job done! lynda.com and other elearning platforms aid mastery by reproducing the best teacher experiences. Great teachers offer knowledge, but also much more: motivation, confidence, and a boost of positivity—all of which really make learning stick! Learn more: http://www.lynda.com/Business-training-tutorials/29-0.html