Finding Purpose and Meaning in Your Job
The Sweet Spot
Do you feel like just tossing in the towel at work sometimes?
Even if you’re skilled at what you do, even if you usually enjoy your work, some days can leave you feeling like, “What’s the point?” or “Why am I even doing this?” or “Does this even matter!?”
We’ve all been there. Clocking into the 9-5 can, at times, leave us with a sense of purposelessness, lackluster, and devoid of meaningful contribution. It doesn’t help that marketing messages perpetuate that if you’re not gloriously fulfilled doing what you’re doing, something is wrong.
Finding a role that combines your skills with what brings you purpose and meaning is, of course, the sweet spot in the modern workplace.
It is possible, but it’s not always possible without doing a little extra legwork, and in some cases, we need to find avenues outside our day-to-day work tasks to find fulfillment.
In this blog, we get into the potential and realities of finding purpose and meaning in your job and how to take an outside the box approach!
“Those who have a 'why', can bear almost any 'how'.”
- Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning
What is purpose and meaning? How much does it matter to find it at work?
Spoiler alert: I can’t actually define purpose or meaning for YOU. We’re all going to have our own unique way of interpreting each and how they manifest. Intricately connected, purpose and meaning are intangibles, and while you may struggle to define them now (hopefully, I’ll help you do so more clearly by the end of this blog!), you usually know them when you feel them.
Broadly, defined, purpose is our own sense of “why”. What we feel that we’re here in the world to do, the impact we want to make, and why we feel we exist. Purpose is a sense of significance aligned with our values or passions that gives us something bigger than ourselves to work towards/for.
Meaning is a sense of fulfillment you gain from the work you’re doing, a feeling that it’s contributing to a higher purpose. You want to feel your efforts are worthwhile and connected to a why.
Purpose and meaning for some could offer external rewards: money, status, power, success. Or they could be internal rewards: peace, giving back, happiness, creating change, etc.
While your dream job/life may align with your purpose and bring meaning, a lot of us don’t (and won’t) be paid to be in our purpose. I know, I said it. But don’t worry, this doesn’t mean you can’t find other areas to fill this desire and need.
Reflection Time:
With me, it always starts with reflection, doesn’t it? That’s because reflection almost always brings clarity and invaluable insight! Get out your journal and pen (or Google Doc) and think about your responses to the following questions:
What’s your WHY? What do you feel you’re here to do and bring into the world?
What does making an impact look like and feel like for you?
Where in your life are you already finding meaning and fulfillment? Can you see areas in which your job is fueling purpose?
What tasks do you do at work that make you lose track of time? What do you do outside of work that makes you lose track of time?
Once you’ve written down your answers, see if you can tie your reflections with your current career. Look for overlap between what excites you and contributes to your purpose and your work responsibilities.
Stepping into More Purpose
Once we’ve identified some of the things that would bring us more fulfillment and purpose, we can determine whether or not these would fit into our current job, whether or not we need to seek a new position (in the same company or somewhere else), or perhaps it’s something we find outside of the workplace altogether.
When I first decided to become a coach, it was because I too was seeking more alignment between my purpose and my work. At the time, I was working for a university I’d worked at for over 25 years and I knew I needed skills to get to where I wanted to go next in my life. In this instance, it wasn’t an option for my employer to pay for my learning, so I pursued the education in my time off. There are times when we’re missing a few key skills that would greatly increase our purpose at work that our employer would be willing to pay for. Especially if we’re able to clearly show them how it’s advantageous to move the needle on their mission and purpose.
If you can learn new skills and have your employer contribute to it, that’s excellent!
If not, don’t worry, read on for some out-of-the-box ideas!
We Don’t Always Get Paid to Be in Our Purpose
A life in which your job brings you purpose is obviously the ideal, and it is possible in many instances. But, it may not always be that what you get paid for is what brings you purpose and meaning. Sometimes your purpose lies in areas outside your 9-5.
Consider some of these opportunities and how you could use them to increase your fulfillment in life:
Side Gigs - starting a business or engaging in a hobby that fills your life with purpose and meaning
Part-Time - if your life allows for it, perhaps there’s a way to add on to what you’re currently doing with a part-time or temporary opportunity. Bonus here is that, in many cases, you’d likely also be getting paid for it!
Volunteering - a great way to fill your life with purpose and meaning through contribution. Choose organizations that align with your values and make sure to include them on your resume and LinkedIn ;)
Leisure - a lot of purpose and meaning come through things that are sheerly fun and enjoyable! The simple joys of life can be extremely impactful in your overall well being. Spending time with family, conversations with friends, snuggling your pets, playing instruments, painting, writing, the list goes on. What does this look like for you?
Start Small and Keep on Building
Look for small ways to infuse your life with purpose and meaning -no matter how those are defined for you! The more you lean into what these things are, the more all areas of your life will begin to feel more unified and whole.
Your journey to a more purpose-filled career starts with reflection and small steps. What’s one action you can take today? Reach out to me and let me know or let’s connect on helping you find a career that brings more meaning to your life.
