“Squandering our gifts brings anguish into our lives. Turns out it’s not just benign or ‘a shame’ if we don’t use the gifts we’ve been given; we pay for it with our emotional and physical well-being. Being. When we don’t use our talents to cultivate a meaningful work, we struggle. We feel disconnected and overwhelmed by feelings of emptiness, frustration, resentment, shame, disappointment, fear and even pain. ” ~ Brené Brown

Whether you work for someone else or are self-employed, purpose and meaning are essential to your happiness and well-being. Research has shown that most people find that meaningful work is actually more important to them than their salary or job title.

What is meaningful work?

Meaningful work is more than just doing work to cash a paycheck. What makes our work meaningful is doing something that serves something or others beyond ourselves.

What is significant is unique to each individual. Some people can find meaning in their work simply by changing their perspective. For work to be meaningful, you need understand the “why” behind your work. Try to think beyond what you are doing to who or what benefits or enriches you from what you do. How is your work important?

For many, it’s about matching their passions, talents and interests with the tasks they perform at work. What do you like to do? What are you good at? What attracts you? Where your passions and talents intersect, you will find meaning.

Meaningful work will always be in alignment with your values, so it is important to understand what your core values ​​are. Take a look at how your career does or does not reflect the values ​​you hold. If you work for a company, do their values ​​align with yours? A disconnect between your values ​​and workplace values ​​destroys any sense of purpose and meaning.

“A meaningful career is one in which we feel an authentic connection between the work we do and a larger life purpose beyond self.” ~ Jory MacKay

The benefits of meaningful work

When your work is meaningful:

• You are charged with more energy because what you are doing matters to you and you know that it benefits others. You have a sense of purpose.

• You are somehow contributing to the larger set, increasing your satisfaction levels.

• Your ability to perform at your highest levels is supported.

• You spend your time in a job that aligns with your values.

• You are more committed to your job, so job satisfaction increases.

• You are more excited to go to work each day.

When it goes beyond the meaning

Sometimes the work can be meaningful, but other factors interfere with the satisfaction one would expect. I experienced that in my career as an elementary Montessori teacher when there was a management change at the school. Teachers were asked to do more paperwork, which could have been accomplished in a more agile way. The contributions of teachers on many topics were not valued. The entire work environment became more restricted, leaving little room for innovation.

When the work environment collides with your personal style, it erodes job satisfaction, even when doing meaningful work.

Be mindful of your own work style and see where you can negotiate some changes. There may also be ways to find the leeway to create more freedom to work in your own style. If not, it may be time to consider a different setting.

What is meaningful to you? I invite you to comment below to share your thoughts on what you find significant in your job, or what you envision as a meaningful career.