Thriving at work involves five dimensions: spiritual fulfillment, engagement, relationships, achievement and positive affect. Spiritual fulfillment does not subscribe to a particular belief system. It is the notion that our work matters, makes a difference, creates values beyond just ourselves, and leaves a legacy. Engagement is a feeling of intense absorption, “being in the zone”, in a state of flow for periods throughout the work day. The dimension of relationships acknowledges that a principal source of well-being is the quality of our relationships and that we flourish by giving and receiving. Achievement matters. We each define “winning” differently and we derive needed pride from our sense of accomplishments. The final dimension is that of positive affect meaning feeling positive emotions while at and about our work.

Determining where you are at with thriving at work requires that you consider a number of questions regarding each dimension. Some questions to consider are:
*Do I feel that, through my work, I am contributing to something worthwhile?
* Am I fully engaged and interested in my daily work activities?
*Are my work relationships supportive, rich, and rewarding?
*Do I continually achieve success at work?
*Am I happy work most of the time?
A more complete list of questions and an actual complimentary assessment can be found HERE.

When you have reflected on how each of the dimensions manifests in your work and/or your workplace, you can gain a better understanding of what you get to change. Is there something you can do in a specific area that would improve your experience of that element in your current workplace? If not, can you determine if that element would be improved at another department at your current employer or do you need to change employers?

Have you or your industry changed so much that adjusting at your current employer or choosing a new employer won’t positively impact your ability to thrive? That’s ok, if it is true. This year, so many people are “pivoting” what they do and there are career coaches, workshops and books which can assist you to determine your next move. Just know that you do have a choice between stagnating and thriving and there are clear activities to thriving.