Finding Meaningful Work--and Finding meaning In Your Work

Gear , a photo by avrene on Flickr.

For the nine or more hours a day we devote to our jobs, we expect, even demand to find meaning in it. I’ve noticed lately that when people kvetch about their job dissatisfaction, they are shamed into changing the subject. Well-meaning friends and co-workers remind them that downsized execs they know are now selling lumber at Lowe’s. Eventually they stuff down their frustrations and are guilted into silence.

Should we just consider ourselves lucky to have a job these days?

If we take an academic approach to the quest for meaningful work, we find the usual answers (often found in books and Myers Briggs tests).  If you are guided by a kind of calling, you should be a priest or work in non-profit; maybe join the Peace Corp.  Those of you who want to help lives will find meaningful work in becoming doctors, teachers or policemen/women. Others that are creators will become artists, designers and architects. If you are a certain personality type, your test says that you should be in sales or leadership.

When the answer isn’t so black and white (and most of us can relate), consider another approach that allows you to find meaning in the work you already do. I’m all for reinventing your career, but in today’s precarious job market you may not have to abandon a career you’ve already invested in:

Take the time to investigate the mission of your company. On the surface, your job building computer hard-drives may seem to only benefit the company shareholders. But does your company donate laptops to children in impoverished countries? Is your organization developing technology that helps scientists detect cancer faster and cheaper? Look at the lives your work touches. You might find meaning in your work when you see your role as part of the bigger picture.

Learn a new skill. You may be in the same financial role for a number of years, and you’ve got a strong reputation for success. Can you build on what you already do well and take on bigger tasks? Get out of your comfort zone—lead a project, mentor a new employee or switch to a department where you can leverage your knack for numbers.

Make it personal and avoid fear-based career decisions. When you live from the inside out, you learn to understand what’s deeply satisfying to you. Eventually a pattern emerges—for example, you are naturally drawn to new cultures or you enjoy consulting work. Pinpoint that thing you do so well and focus on your natural talents. There’s no sense in swimming against the tide.

Do you beat yourself up over missed job opportunities? If you abandoned veterinary school because it didn’t feel right at the time, it probably wasn’t. Pragmatic jobs (often chosen by our parents) in the medical field or in teaching are wonderful choices, unless you are squeamish or impatient. Making fear-based career choices is like bargaining with the devil. Have faith in the choices you’ve made.

Focus on moments vs. accomplishments. Your annual review is largely based on a year of metrics and production results. In other words, your bonus and raise is largely dependent upon the projects you’ve completed. This is how the corporate world works—but it can suck the life out of finding joy in your work. If you don’t want to count the hours until the weekend arrives, while you are focusing on your accomplishments, try to find satisfaction in the daily mastery of your work. Remind yourself that you found a skill you are really, really good at. Appreciate that you made a co-worker’s job easier, or that a customer personally thanked you for your contribution.

Because at the end of the day, week, month or year, getting satisfaction out of completing a task well and delivering results makes our work and our lives meaningful. Being of service makes us feel good about ourselves.