Stop thinking about money at work

“The constant hunt for more money, eternally chasing the next raise, measuring yourself against the number on your pay check is no way to run a career, and no way to live a work life.” Money isn’t that important, right? Only if you want to have shelter, food, and water. However, Alexander Kjerulf gives an enticing argument why money shouldn’t be your primary motivation at work:

1: More money does not make you happier
Most people think that having a higher income would make them happier. They’re wrong!

2: Always thinking of money is bad for you
“Money pushes people into a state where they become focused on achieving their own goals without help of others,” says researcher Kathleen Vohs, assistant marketing professor at the Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota.

3: The actual amount doesn’t matter - fairness does
Humans have a built-in desire for fairness that even seems to be present in other species close to us. If you feel that your salary is unfair, this will make you unhappy!

4: It’s not getting what you want - it’s wanting what you get
When people wish for more money than they have, they tend to be unhappy.

5: Your salary can make you unhappy - but not happy
Herzberg’s motivational theory divides motivational factors in two categories: Hygiene and motivational. The hygiene factors can make us unhappy when they’re not present, but their presence can’t make us happy. The motivational factors can actually make us happy. Salary falls squarely in the “hygiene” category, meaning that getting paid well can remove dissatisfaction - but it can’t create satisfaction.

Five reasons to forget about money and focus on what makes you happy at work - [Chief Happiness Officer]