How can we find joy in the challenging things we work on?
The secret to improvement doesn't have to be super long hours, the daily grind, or forced repetition, which can lead to both burnout and boreout. It's about spending quality time doing work that leads to a better outcome.
Adam Grant shared his insights in his book, Hidden Potential, calling it "deliberate play". Nancy Rothbard calls it "harmonious passion" – work that links to gains in satisfaction and work-life balance.
One key aspect of this concept isn't starting with logic thinking "what I should do", but noticing what moves us to act. When we figure out the combination between what we enjoy doing and what leads to progress, we've got a plan.
