Easy Ways To Recognize How Your Work Is Meaningful

Recognizing the meaning in your work will help you experience more joy and engagement. 

I often talk to people about the fact they are looking for "meaningful" work. It made me wonder if individuals were looking at the idea of "finding meaning" in their work in a completely wrong way. 

Do individuals only see "meaningful" work as having a huge, direct impact on people? Or can true "meaning" and purpose in our work take on many different forms and doesn't have to be this large grandiose over the top of impact they may be envisioning? 

If you’re wondering whether your work is meaningful, here are four quick ways to recognize how your work brings meaning and purpose to your life:

1. My work helps me help my family

We don’t have to make a huge impact on thousands of people to be doing work of meaning. Putting food on the table, or helping your children achieve their educational dreams, or helping to pay for medical treatment that’s desperately needed, or taking a family vacation that builds beautiful lasting memories, etc. – these are all ways that your work – and the money you earn - is meaningful to you and your family.

2. My work allows me to use my talents

Using your innate talents and skills in your work is another way to derive meaning. Your unique perspective, experience, and capabilities have been fused together in a completely special and powerful way that makes you extremely valuable in the workplace and to others. Embrace and use those talents fully.

3. My work supports something bigger

Many people’s roles are narrowly defined and/or focused on one key task. But each task that we engage in has a ripple effect that supports a larger picture. Just because your focus may be narrow doesn’t mean you are not contributing to something much bigger that makes a difference in the world.

4. My work lets me be me

As Maria Nemeth shares in her great book, The Energy of Money, “We are all happiest when we are demonstrating in physical reality what we know to be true about ourselves when we are giving form to our life's intentions in a way that contributes to others.” 

When you can be who you really are, leverage your unique talents and skills, and use those talents in activities that are enjoyable and in some way support a cause or outcome that you care about, then there is true meaning in your work. Never Doubt It! 

#findsucceedachieve #meaningfulwork #findingjoy #joy #careers #meaningandpurpose #purpose