Skip to main contentA logo with &quat;the muse&quat; in dark blue text.
Advice / Succeeding at Work / Getting Ahead

3 Smarter Ways to Take Advantage of Your Happiest Days

There’s nothing more glorious than waking up especially happy. Everything seems to be going right—your daily cup of coffee comes out perfect, your commute is unusually fast, your boss is in a good mood. The stars have aligned on this particular day, and you can’t wait to see what’s in store for you.

Being in a great mood doesn’t just mean the hours will fly by at work—it’s also the perfect time to be productive. In fact, I make sure to use my happiest days to accomplish things I wouldn’t have otherwise.

So, besides just sitting back and enjoying the moment, here are a couple other things I’d recommend you also try—because why not? Nothing can kill your mood today.


1. Tackle That Hard Task

On any normal day, facing that inevitable, annoying assignment sounds impossible, and so you probably put it off. Or, worse, you barely complete it and it doesn’t turn out as great as you (or your boss) would like it to.

Happy days come with an extra boost of confidence—which means you could probably do a kick-ass job at those pesky tasks and feel really good about it. And, you’re probably more likely to finish it in half the time because you have so much positive energy.

Now, I’m not saying procrastinate every other day on things that annoy you until you have a good day. And I’m also not saying sacrifice this special moment to something that’s going to lead you to be in a terrible mood. But try to challenge yourself to face that difficult client, or that time-consuming assignment, or that project with an unreliable co-worker because you’re in a better mindset to be patient and proactive. Your regular self will thank you later—and be happier for it.


2. Bond With Co-workers You Don’t Usually Talk To

It can be hard sometimes on a normal day to listen to a colleague go on and on about his crazy weekend, or join in on an office get-together. But I bet on your happiest days you’re feeling a bit more generous. So, take advantage of your good vibes to get to know someone you don’t usually give the time of day and expand your network.

Actually grab lunch outside of the office with a new co-worker who doesn’t seem to know anyone, or drinks with a colleague who could use a pick-me-up. Who knows, maybe they’ll do the same for you when you’re feeling not as peppy.


3. Take a Risk

You’ve been blessed with a lively, confident disposition today—so now’s the perfect opportunity to really shine.

Pitch that big or crazy idea to your boss that you’ve kept bottled up. Take on an assignment that’s slightly out of your reach, but something you’re really passionate about. Sign up for a tough online course or program that you didn’t think you were ready for. Offer to present your team’s work at the next company-wide meeting even though you’re afraid of public speaking.

It doesn’t have to be a huge risk, but it should be something you’ve always thought about doing or mentioning, but never had the guts to actually follow through on. When you’re happy, you have a better grip on what failure entails than you do when you’re down—sure, it’s scary, but the worst that can happen won’t be the end of the world. And maybe, just maybe, it won’t be a failure at all (and won’t that lead to tons of happier days!).



Sure, feeling particularly cheery one day is a cause for celebration, but it also means great things for your career. Instead of going through your day like any other, consider trying these three smart actions, and hopefully, you’ll be happier a lot more often.


Photo of happy woman at work courtesy of Xavier Arnau/Getty Images.