A Better Question Than ‘What Makes You Happy?’
Tuning into your anger can help you discover your real life’s work
When I go too long without writing, I get angry. I sense it every time I get caught up in other commitments and realize I haven’t written an article or journaled in a while. I feel on edge, as if there’s something bottled up inside me.
According to the entrepreneur Derek Sivers, I should lean into that anger. “What do you hate not doing?” he asks in his book Hell Yeah or No. “What makes you feel depressed, annoyed, or like your life has gone astray if you don’t do it enough?”
If you’re trying to discover the work you should build your life around, Sivers explains that this double-negative question seems to deliver better ideas than the generic “What makes you happy?”
Why? Because chances are, you won’t find that golden career path if you’re only searching for happiness. You’ll follow every distraction and seemingly attractive opportunity if what you’re after is a fleeting thrill.
Aiming for happiness also doesn’t narrow the field enough. If you’re a generally positive person, you’ll always find some happiness along the way, no matter what type of work you do. How happy you are is more a reflection of the habits you’ve cultivated in your life — optimism…
