July–August 2025
Article
Harvard Business Review

How the Busiest People Find Joy

By: Leslie A. Perlow, Sari Mentser and Salvatore J. Affinito

Format:Print
| Pages:5

Abstract

Joy, along with achievement and meaningfulness, is one of the three keys to a satisfying life. Yet it’s the missing piece for many ambitious individuals, the authors found after examining data on how nearly 2,000 professionals spend their days. Jam-packed schedules are a factor, their research showed, because people experience more joy during their limited free time than while working or doing household chores. Interestingly, however, what people did with their extra time was more important than how many hours of it they had. The authors uncovered five strategies that will help you get more out of your free time: (1) Engage with others. Sharing experiences amplifies joy. (2) Avoid passive pursuits. The more time you spend on active ones, the more satisfied you’ll be with your life. (3) Follow your passions. Doing what you find personally rewarding delivers significantly more benefits than doing things that typically are considered “good for you.” (4) Diversify your activities. Variety—not depth—boosts happiness. (5) Protect your free time. Don’t let work encroach on it; if you use it wisely, your well-being and job engagement will both increase, and you’ll actually get more value out of your work.