Finding Meaning in Your Regular Work Task

Do you feel like you’re too busy with work, but your life and career aren’t moving forward? Does it feel like everything that you do is just a way to pass the time? Does it feel like you’ve been working for things that don’t really matter?

You’re great at completing tasks and getting things done. In fact, you take your job seriously. That’s why you hate it when work piles up. You may even have a task tracker that helps you complete every assignment before they are due. And yet, at the end of each workday, you think, “Was there something you could have done better?”

Your work ethic is not a problem. Rather, the problem is finding meaning in the things that you do. When you think that your job or everyday responsibilities are meaningless, then doing them and accomplishing them won’t give you a sense of fulfillment. 

Many people believe that having a fulfilling job is a luxury reserved for the very lucky or very wealthy. This is a huge myth. 

Instead of wallowing in the idea that you are just another cog in a machine, focus on the meaning of what you do. What do you provide for people? What impact are you making on the world?

Finding Joy In Meaningful Work

Have you ever thought about feeling grateful that you actually have work? Not everyone gets the luxury of working on something they are good at, let alone love. Perhaps what you should do, instead of focusing on how tedious your job is, is focus on how you can turn your work into something more purposeful than it already is. 

What does it mean to do something purposeful then? Being fulfilled in your job is when you feel like you’re doing something good for the world.

People from various industries find purpose in the work that they do, and it is usually when their work affects the lives of people around them. For example, a teacher who sees the face of one student light up with understanding after a tough lesson feels good about doing her work. Nurses who are able to relieve others of their pain go home feeling more fulfilled than when they first came to work. Writers who are able to publish articles that provoke emotions within people feel like they have touched the lives of their readers. 

The belief that anyone can find meaning in the work that they do is what keeps some people going. Brightening up other people’s day sends good vibes to those who are doing what they do. The work that you do doesn’t have to make everyone richer or stop world hunger. All it has to do is to bring about positive change in the lives of people. Small or big, the change is going to help them improve their lives. 

Happiness at work means finding out that you have made other people’s lives better--your own life included. If you are putting on a smile on people’s faces, helping them do mindful work, or make their lives easier, then you are definitely on the right track.

Meaningful work is available for all of us and can be deeply satisfying. If you can connect to that feeling, not only will your perspective change, but you will begin to experience all the good that life has to offer.

How To Find Joy In Your Work

It can be quite easy for a person to lose themselves in the process of doing their work. Instead of being creative and seeing the joy of learning something new, they focus on just getting things done. Have you become this person? Do you manage to do your work but forget about why you love doing it in the first place? 

No matter how difficult it may seem, looking deeper into the work that you do should help you gain more in the long run. Not only do you get to anchor your work to the meaning it delivers, but you also get to see the beauty of life through it. 

So how do you find joy in the work that you do?

Look at the bigger picture

Finding meaning in the work that you do is learning that it is not a one-way street. You always have to consider the bigger picture. What is the purpose of it in the long run? How does your organization contribute to the betterment of the world? How does your work help improve the lives of the people in your community? 

Remember that each team member plays a vital role in the success of a project. They have their own skills they put on the table. Everyone’s role is critical. Stop and think for a moment. Take time to notice how important your role is in the bigger picture. By then, it will be easier to determine how much importance you should put in the work that you do. 

Be your own manager

If you come prepared with a long list of performance tasks to accomplish, no matter how big or small it is, make sure to manage them properly. Some of the tasks may seem boring but never underestimate their importance. If you can prioritize the tasks on hand, then that would be preferable. You can work on the smaller tasks first and move on to the more important ones. Remember to consider the urgency of each respective responsibility.

Effective managers conduct their own research as to the importance of the task at hand. In particular, they look into the motive behind the task as well as foster their own passion for being able to deliver the task correctly. All of these considerations promote productivity. When you become more efficient at something, it becomes easier to perform.

If the problem does not concern your lack of time management, then here are some things to do to stay productive: 

• Pick out the most critical items from your to-do list and work on them. 
• Only work on one task at a time. 
• Make it easier for you to start and complete the task.
• Allow yourself to feel joy when you get it done. 

Getting things done can be a lot more fun, as opposed to procrastinating. Procrastination only causes more anxiety. Keep yourself away from distractions. Remember, there is more to life than just doing work for the sake of working.

Where can you find meaning in the work that you do? Start the search from within.