If you would, would you walk us through a typical day for you?

This is Hidden Brain. I'm Shankar Vedantam.

Today, we're talking about finding meaning in our work.

I generally come in at least 15 minutes late.

I use the side door. That way, Lumberg can't see me.

And after that, I just sort of space out for about an hour. Space out?

Yeah, I just stare at my desk.

But it looks like I'm working.

This clip from the movie Office Space describes what work feels like to many people, not the

staff of poetry.

But now, imagine something that feels more than just a job, something that feels like a calling.

What we learned is people who see their work as a calling are significantly more satisfied

with their jobs.

They're significantly more satisfied with their lives. They're significantly more satisfied with their

lives. They're more engaged in what it is that they're doing and tend to be better performers,

regardless of what the work is. This week on Hidden Brain, a conversation with Amy Reznusky,

professor of organizational behavior at the Yale School of Management.

Amy studies work and something that she calls job crafting.

Job crafting can help you make the job that you have right now more meaningful and more satisfying. Amy Riznowski, welcome to Hidden Brain.

Thanks so much for having me.

I was reading one of your papers recently, and I was struck by an excerpt that you had at the top.

One came from a corporate securities lawyer, and one came from a taxidermist.

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