Wish you could fall back in love with work?
Famous writer and poet Kahlil Gibran once said, “Work is love made visible.” Does that feel like a distant concept to you? Have you lost that lovin’ feeling? If so, you are not alone. Gallup reports that only 32% of workers say they are engaged. That means two-thirds of us are just working for the weekend. Bummer. That’s a lot of hours just phoning it in. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to sacrifice that much of my life just for the almighty dollar.
Job hopping may seem like a good solution, but many are finding the grass isn’t greener on the other side. We are in a different location with the same old problems. What if the solution lies in a mindset shift? Maybe it’s not about what we are doing but how we are thinking about it.
After years in the same career, many people can lose touch with why they started in their field of choice in the first place. We can become bored, disenchanted, or even disgruntled. We are restless and don’t know why.
Finding meaning at work is having a clear sense of purpose or mission. This means understanding how your work contributes to a larger goal or vision and feeling a sense of alignment between your personal purpose and that of the organization. When you feel your work is meaningful, you are more likely to be engaged, motivated, and committed. But how do you get there?
First, understand what unique talents you bring to the table and how you want those talents to impact the world around you. Next, look for opportunities to connect with those you work with and for. Relationships are essential when it comes to feeling fulfilled. The best way to stay engaged is to authentically connect and seek ways to use your gifts to help those around you.
Another critical factor in finding meaning at work is having opportunities for growth and development. This means learning new skills, taking on new challenges, and progressing toward personal and professional goals. When you feel like you are growing and developing, your confidence grows, and you begin to see new ways to leave a mark.
When we understand who we are and reimagine how we can better show up, we can see each day as an opportunity for impact. Often when we serve only ourselves on the road to success, we become our main problem. When we shift focus from ourselves and start looking at how we can benefit and support others, we can create a more fruitful work experience.
Doing the work to define how you can serve the greater good opens up a new way of seeing your work and helps open the door to falling back in love with what you do.
You can love what you do, love whom you do it with, or love whom you do it for. You can make love visible in so many ways through your work. Try to realize in your work that there is hope for the better. A better you. A better team. Maybe even a better world.
