As Americans, we work a lot. I’m out of town visiting friends, but I am still up this morning, trying to do some posting, before we pack up and head back home. Sure, I reduced the amount of work I had to do while away, but working has still been a part of this trip nevertheless. Because we work so much, it is important to consider whether or not the work we do is satisfying.

My Money Blog offers some insight into three characteristics of a satisfying job:

1. Autonomy: We like to have a certain amount of control over what we are doing in our work. As a freelancer, or a home business owner, this can be a big part of increased job satisfaction.

2. Complexity: Most people like some degree of stimulation on the job. Whether intellectually stimulating or physically challenging, the chance to solve problems or find creative ways of doing things contributes to job satisfaction.

3. Connection between effort and reward: The feeling that you are making what you are worth — or at least are recognized by others for doing a good job — is an important one to to job satisfaction.

No matter what kind of job you are doing, if you feel satisfied about it, it probably has all three of the above characteristics. If one of these is missing, you might have a lower amount of job satisfaction. And, if all three are missing, you might consider updating your resume and skills so that you can start looking for a new job when the recession ends.