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How to Find Meaning in Your Job
The three visions of work
- People with a job see work as a chore and the paycheck as their reward.
- People with a career like the concept of advancing and succeeding.
- People with a calling find their work fulfilling and think it feels meaningful.
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Key Ideas
The three visions of work
- People with a job see work as a chore and the paycheck as their reward.
- People with a career like the concept of advancing and succeeding.
- People with a calling find their work fulfilling and think it feels meaningful.
You can find meaning in any work
There are doctors who see their work only as a job, and janitors who see their work as a calling.
No matter what job you have, you can find meaning in it. Rewrite your job description to be more calling-focused. Think of your own personal goals in life. How can your current job tasks be connected to this larger purpose?
Find meaning in your job
- Jot down a mandatory work task you find devoid of meaning—something you dread.
- Ask yourself what the purpose of the task is and write it down.
- Ask yourself what this result leads to. Write it down.
- Continue this process until you find a meaningful result.
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Start with “why”
Why am I doing this? Ask yourself why until you understand your actions and decide how to reach your goal.
For instance, ask yourself why you are doing this job. If your a...
The modern workplace
In the last decades, organizations are increasingly becoming more global, complex, and demanding of workers’ time. In the always-on, always-connected work environment, boundaries are overlapping and combining.
If you can’t adapt, can’t see situations in versatile ways, can’t find meaning in the most dreary circumstances, you might not survive.
The downsides of too much adapting
The downsides to always adapting, always flexible, always changing gears could lead to a lack of direction and commitment. In turn, a lack of direction could lead to failure.
We don’t want to entertain the possibility that it might fail. We just imagine that things are definitely going to work.
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Identify issues
Determine where you are in your career.
Identify how you got there and why you might lack fulfillment in your professional life.
Establish the core values
These are the non-negotiable values you want to be known and remembered for.
Once you have identified your values, look at your personality, skills and interests to make sure that they align with your current occupation.
Ask the big questions
These are questions like “What do I really want?” or “Should I change careers?”
The more grounded you are with the answers to these important questions, the better able you are to reach your true goals.
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Your "why" matters
It doesn’t matter how big your paycheck is or what your title is to find meaning in your work.
What matters is 'why'. Figure out what you care about to give you direction and that sense of...
Identify and embrace your purpose
Consider your personality and interests and think thoughtfully about how you want your skills to help others.
Maybe you’re an outgoing content marketer who wants to start using your data research skills more to come up with a strategy.
You’re looking for an overlap between all three—personality, interests and skills. Then you'll be able to more accurately integrate your purpose into your current position.
Participation
You’re never going to get anywhere or accomplish anything if you don’t make an effort.
Building a life that matters requires participation.