Your career can leave you feeling satisfied and fulfilled when you know the steps for finding purpose-driven work.
They say that you’ll never work a day in your life if you’re doing something you love, but is doing something you love actually a possibility in the real world?
We’ve all done jobs that numb the senses, dull the brain and make you feel like life is moving in slow motion; and unfortunately for some, this has become a long-term reality.
How then, can we break the pattern and shake off the shackles to find purpose and meaning in our work? A staggering 34% of 2,000 U.S. employees surveyed said they dread starting their workday—an increase of 11% points since 2020, so it’s a question many people have asked.
One of the major things people forget when planning their career, or searching for a job in general, is to try and align their passions, thoughts and overall vibe with a position.
We’ve all sat in front of Google and searched lazily for a job that might be better than our current position, but if you apply certain principles and methods to your search, you could get some pretty exciting results.
Whether we like it or not, our jobs take up a huge portion of our lives, so fulfilment in the jobs we hold means a better life all around.
In this guide, we’re going to be taking a look at:
- The best ways to discover purpose-driven work for yourself.
- How to unlock the benefits it holds.
- Ways to identify your passions.
- How you can align your work life with these elements to bring more meaning and happiness to your life.
Understanding Purpose-Driven Work
More and more people are asking themselves the same question, “Why am I doing this job and what am I getting out of it?”
And it’s a totally valid question; we should not be living to work, or even working to live. Our jobs should offer meaning to our lives, we should feel like we are doing something worthwhile, something that is making a difference, or something that allows us to enjoy our lives in the way that we want.
Purpose-driven work relies on all of these factors and results in an employee’s intrinsic sense of fulfilment that results from work that actually means something to you as an individual. This may sound like an impossibility for every individual, but everyone has a different sense of fulfilment. For example, those who are driven by monetary rewards will feel fulfilled getting a promotion or pay rise and those who want to see the difference they are making for themselves can search for it in the people they work with or the changes they are able to implement or influence.
APA’s 2023 Work in America Survey states that ”workplace stress remains at a concerning level, with 77% of workers having reported experiencing work-related stress”. More than often working professionals need to take time off work due to pressure and stress, and a huge contributing factor to this is that lack of fulfilment, dissatisfaction, and a feeling of pointlessness.
There are plenty of ways in which we can take a break and recover from burnout, but without changing the source of the problem, we’re simply going to be repeating the pattern. Make your burnout recovery worthwhile and learn exactly what it is that you want from your work.
Self-Discovery: Identifying Your Passions
Our modern world is not kind to everyone, and many people feel boxed in by their experience, education or circumstance; but these do not have to be defining factors in our work lives. The first step we can take towards improving our purpose at work is learning as much as we can about ourselves.
Now, this is not quite as simple as saying “Well I love tennis so I’ll just incorporate that into my work”. Working within an industry like professional tennis may not be feasible in the short-term, although nothing is impossible (if it’s what you want then go for it!).
Instead, self-discovery is about reflecting on the things that are important to you, the things that make you feel worthy and effective, the passions you have and the connections you make. There are lots of ways to learn more about yourself, but a great way to start is to keep a journal or diary that logs your day-to-day life; thoughts, feelings, interactions, wins, losses, and all the important points of your day.
This allows you to fully reflect on the overarching story of your day and soak in all the lessons and information, offering clarity in moments that may have gone unnoticed; it allows you to take steps towards living in the moment and fully understanding the things that happen to you as they happen. This is a practice known as ‘mindfulness’ that teaches the importance of being present, learning from the world around you and fully processing the information that you take in throughout the day.
Bridging the Gap: Aligning Your Career with Your Passions
Now that we have a greater understanding of ourselves and the way that we interact with our microcosms, it’s time to bridge the gap between the things we want and the things we are doing. It’s all well and good understanding yourself, but if you can’t apply it to finding purpose-driven work then it means nothing.
The first step is assessing your current job satisfaction (your journal will come in handy here!), consider what it is you’re looking for and compare that to your current position. Maybe you’re a people person and you are not getting enough human interaction from your remote-based role, perhaps your strengths lie in technology-based work and aren’t being utilised, or your shift patterns are damaging your home life; whatever the issue is, try to connect it with the strengths and passions that you’ve been trying to identify and understand.
A career change is not always necessary and sometimes, with enough information and knowledge of what we want, current circumstances can be altered to better suit your needs. In some cases, this can be all the change we need, but there are instances where your current role just can’t offer what you really want.
This is where knowledge and research is key. Your newfound knowledge about your own needs is a powerful asset when coupled with effective research into a new field. Start by looking at things you’ve dreamt of doing in the past, that perfect dream job may not be as unattainable as you first thought.
Finding companies that match your outlook is also a great thing to try. If, for example, you’re into having meaningful conversations with colleagues and peers then heading to companies that specialise in this area is a great step. If there’s a brand that you admire then explore the roles they have available.
What you’ll soon discover is that you’re not too far away from being their perfect candidate, especially if you’re bringing genuine passion to the table. Trying to align your job search parameters with potential roles in this way can help you narrow down what it is you’re looking for, and hopefully ensure that you’re looking in the right places.
Trying these things is all well and good, however, you’ll probably hit some snags along the way. Don’t lose heart though, here are some ways you can keep the important aspects of your search in focus.
Overcoming Challenges
Nothing worth getting is easy, so of course there will be some problems to overcome. Thankfully, overcoming problems is character building, so don’t be afraid. A fear of change can be crippling, but the rewards for conquering it are life-changing.
You may discover that your skills don’t quite match up to potential new roles, but skills are there to be learned. Take on some extra education in your spare time, sign up for an internship, or get the training you need to make your transition.
Talking about your plans with friends and family can be a great step; listening to their advice and taking it on board could be the difference between a shiny new job, and staying put. It’s also important to remember that this will probably not be a quick change, these things take time. Be realistic about timelines and focus on a clear goal; don’t get bogged down in the details.
Sustaining Purpose-Driven Work
Now that the hard part is out of the way and you have learned more about yourself, become more mindful and truly understand the impact that your work is having on your life, your focus should switch to sustaining your purposeful approach.
Continuous reflection on the things we have learned in this article will allow you to further fine-tune the elements of your life that are not working. Now you are armed with the knowledge that if something is not giving you satisfaction, you can alter it to better suit you.
Change is inevitable, and although it can be scary, it should be embraced. The world around us is constantly changing, so for us to remain static would make no sense at all. As we know all too well, you can’t be happy at work if you’re not happy at home, and vice versa, so your work-life balance should always be a priority and should match your lifestyle.
Having a ‘growth mindset’ is crucial in sustaining your purpose-driven approach and means you’re never static; new adventures will be lying in wait, opportunities will appear and skills can be fine-tuned, improved and learned from scratch; all you have to do is be willing and ready to capitalise.
The Final Word
So there we have it, some tips for finding purpose-driven work for those looking to change things up, take back control of their work life and improve their overall satisfaction. Discovering the purpose that fuels you can lead you into new realms of possibility, open new doors and teach you new things; and now you have the knowledge and the skill set to navigate the intimidating world of changing roles.
Never lose sight of the fact that you should be able to have what you want, especially when it comes to your professional life. Make your work a positive part of your being, not something you must endure.
If you follow the steps listed above for finding purpose-driven work and embrace the change your career will flourish, your personal life will improve and you’ll find yourself learning new things, meeting people, and enjoying the relationship between your work and your home life.