The Happiness Issue
Kotzebue Clean Energy Coalition Newsletter
The latest from just above the Arctic Circle.
Here is your weekly shot of energy, a list of what I’m exploring. Please forward this to friends.
Work and Happiness
In previous articles I looked at resilience and finding your Massively Transformative Purpose (MTP), today I want to talk about happiness.
In her book Reality is Broken, by Jane McGonigal, she explores the question “What makes humans happy?”
The answer, according to the book, lies in positive-psychology research which points to four major drivers of long-term happiness:
1. Satisfying work
2. The experience, or at least the hope of being successful
3. Social connection
4. Meaning – being part of something larger than ourselves
World of Warcraft can provide all these things, but most jobs do not.
But, what can we do about it?
The history of education and work is a convoluted and juicy topic going back to industrialization. These systems were not designed for happiness, they were made to create employees who will show up and do their repetitive task.
We live in a different world. We have the opportunity to find fulfilling work and happiness. We have to design the education and work environment to optimize for fulfilment and happiness.
How do we do that?
GAMIFICATION
What if we designed education and work to be more like World of Warcraft? This is where I admit that I have never played World of Warcraft, but my understanding is that it gives you jobs or quests to do, just like an interesting job. Then it tells you why they are important, just like an MPT. And you get rewards and upgrades when you complete your quest, like a raise and work experience.
The big thing missing in this equation is the ability to fail. In games if you fail, as long as you believe you can succeed and are interested, you will keep playing. A good game is designed for eventual success. How can education and work be designed to allow for short-term failure and long-term success?
I don’t have an answer…but it’s an interesting question.
The gamification of education could be an easier path in some respects, but entrenched systems are resistant to change.
I don’t have the answer and I may not be the one to change it, but I can imagine a future where people feel excited to do go to work, do meaningful things, have vibrant social connections and reach for success that makes them happy.
How hard would it be to turn a Zoom call into a fun game? Our lives are largely digital already, what is missing is the creativity and the commitment to fun.
I’m not saying it will happen everywhere, all at once, but more lives with more happiness, meaning and purpose is a worthy goal. A future full of happiness is waiting to be discovered.
In Case You Missed It
Study Shows Alaska’s Big Potential for Pumped Hydro
About 1,800 sites in Alaska are suitable for the development of closed-loop pumped hydro projects, and many more are suitable for open-loop pumped storage, according to a study by Argonne National Laboratory and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
What Energizing Rural Communities Means for Galena, Alaska
The story of Sustainable Energy for Galena, one of 67 awardees of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energizing Rural Communities Prize’s phase one, was born from the energy needs of their busy residential school system at Galena Interior Learning Academy.
I am no expert in tax incentives, honestly all the tax credits and rebates make my head spin. But the federal government sure seems to like them. This handy reference sheet put together by the DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy could help get your head around the incentives for Wind Energy. There is huge opportunity in Alaska Wind production. The partnership opportunities are interesting too.
The Wind Market Reports 2023
The U.S. Department of Energy’s 2023 offshore, land-based, and distributed wind market reports show that wind power continues to be one of the fastest growing and lowest-cost sources of electricity in America and is poised for rapid growth, thanks in part to the Inflation Reduction Act.
Quote
"Happiness is the consequence of personal effort...You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings."
― Elizabeth Gilbert
Take care,
Chad
P.S. Sign up by clicking the link below to get this newsletter every week.
Kotzebue Clean Energy Coalition
Kotzebue Clean Energy Coalition Newsletter The latest from just above the Arctic Circle. Here is your weekly shot of energy, a list of what I’m exploring. Please forward this to friends. The Microgrid of the Future Kotzebue, like most villages in Alaska, is on an island electrically speaking. We exist on what is called in the industry an “islanded microgrid”. What that means in a practical sense is that we are on our own. We produce and consume all of our electricity, untethered from outside...
Kotzebue Clean Energy Coalition Newsletter Volume 30 The latest from just above the Arctic Circle. Labor Day Edition In 1894, when Labor Day became a federal holiday, the American workforce faced challenges, such as long working hours, low wages, and poor working conditions. Labor and the workplace has changed significantly since then for most people. The challenges to day are different but no less significant particularly with the advent of remote work, gig work and the specter of technology...
Kotzebue Clean Energy Coalition Newsletter The latest from just above the Arctic Circle. Hi All! Here is your weekly shot of energy, a list of what I’m exploring. What's Up in Kotzebue When I worked with highschool students at Star of the Northwest Magnet School, I thought about resilience and how to build resilience regularly, but in the context of young people not microgrids. This week I have been thinking about resilience in energy and organizations. Resilience is defined by the internet...