Work is an essential part of the fabric of life, and we all want to find work that lights us up. There’s an old popular saying, “Find what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.” It sounds great, but the reality is that most of us need to pay the bills. The good news is that we can still enjoy our work and have the best of both worlds.
In physics, work is the transfer of energy from one place to another. It’s the product of a force and a displacement. The unit of work is the joule (J).
An object that doesn’t move has no work done on it. When an object moves, the amount of work depends on the direction of the movement and the magnitude of the force. If the force is applied in a direction away from the displacement, the amount of work done is negative.
If the force is directed toward the displacement, the amount of work done is positive. This is called conservative work because the total energy of the object remains unchanged. For example, if an object with mass mg is dropped and it falls vertically a distance y2 – y1, the work done by gravity on the object is W = Fg(y2 – y1) = mg
Work can also be transferred from a source to a body without its being used. For example, a body can transfer its own potential energy to itself by moving through a magnetic field. This is called induced work.
In more general systems, work can change the potential energy in a mechanical system, the thermal energy in a thermal system or the electrical energy in an electrical device. It’s important to distinguish this type of work from heating, which is the transfer of energy from a hotter area to a cooler area.
As the world of work evolves, organizations must take action to prepare for the future of work and capture the most value for their workers. It’s not just about reskilling people to do different types of tasks or replacing them with robots, but rather changing the way they think about work itself. This includes identifying and cultivating the right skills for their workforce, as well as revamping management systems, work environments and leadership capabilities.
The word work has many synonyms, including labor, toil, drudgery, and grind. All of these words imply activity that requires effort or exertion, either physical or mental. Work can be productive and fulfilling, or it can be painful and frustrating. However, most of the time, the work we do contributes to society and keeps the economy running smoothly. The benefits of working can include job satisfaction, career development, and personal growth. Those that enjoy their work often find it to be an intrinsic part of their identity. For most, it’s just too hard to give up the nine to five. In a world where there is so much unemployment and people are complaining about their jobs, it’s worth remembering the benefits of work.
