The 2 Moves to Find Meaning in Your Work

Life was beyond what Glen could have even imagined. The soft amber glow of the evening sun bathed the landscape in hues of deep purple and gold and long shadows stretched out before the pine forest as Glen leaned against the porch railing of his lakeside cabin, tucked away in the foothills of the mountains. The last light of day lingered over the still waters of the lake, reflecting the silhouette of the distant peaks and the meadows that stretched out like a sea of wildflowers before him. The cool evening air carried the scent of pine and distant, sweet smoke from the fire he just started. He loves that little spot; just up from the shore and next to a spruce grove where his hammock gently sways as if waving to him, inviting him to rest.

From the open cabin windows, the murmur of laughter and the clink of glasses floated out—it's been such a treasure to enjoy his time out here, but even more rewarding to share it with his friends and family. There was a deep, quiet joy in his heart, a sense of belonging and purpose that wrapped around him like the twilight around the edge of every rock and leaf in the valley. In this moment, Glen felt whole, his life perfectly balanced between achievement and peace.

Glen took a long, deep breath and as he turned his face towards the warm, fading sun, the sharp, jarring sound of the alarm clock tore through his reality. The twilight faded to the harsh gray of early morning, the warm breeze replaced by the sterile draft from the ceiling fan. As Glen’s eyes fluttered open, the dream dissolved, leaving behind a cold, empty feeling of facing another day in a life he didn't even feel was his.

Glen’s Routine Was Killing Him—and He Didn’t Even Know It.

Every morning, Glen would hit snooze three times before dragging himself out of bed. The alarm blared at 6:30 AM, but it might as well have been 3:00 AM for how tired he felt. His body moved on autopilot—shower, coffee, tie the same old tie, and out the door by 7:15. The commute was a blur, a daily journey through a sunless maze that had long since lost its allure. The faces on the train were the same—blank, tired, stressed—he saw much of himself looking back at him.

Glen worked in a glass tower downtown, where the view from his 23rd-floor office did little to inspire him. The conference room where he spent most of his day smelled of industrial carpet cleaner and stale coffee. The laminated tabletop was cold and unforgiving, reflecting the fluorescent lights that buzzed faintly overhead. His meetings were filled with spreadsheets, sales targets, and endless discussions about metrics. He tried to inject meaning into the minutia—telling himself that hitting those numbers was crucial, that the color-coded charts represented progress—but deep down, he knew it was all just noise.

By 5:30 PM, when he finally left the office, Glen felt drained, not from the work itself, but from the sheer effort of trying to convince himself that it mattered. As he settled in front of the TV at home, he was painfully aware of the void he felt. He watched valiant knights on screen and envied their clarity of purpose, wishing he had a mission of his own—something that gave his days direction and meaning. But instead, he felt stuck in a loop, knowing for certain he needed to find a way out, and entirely uncertain where to begin.

Feeling Stuck in a Meaningless Job? You’re Not Alone.

If you have ever found yourself staring at the clock, counting down the hours, wondering if there’s more to work than just making it through an ever-repeating routine - you’re not alone. Millions are in the same boat—stuck in careers that don’t just lack passion but purpose.

Here's an important distinction: your job may not be meaningless, but it very well may be meaningless to you. It doesn’t have to be this way. You can find your way to the work that is meaningful to you, and it starts with just two powerful moves.

Move 1: Choose Purpose Over Passion.

There's nothing wrong with being passionate about something, in fact, its critically important to have these things in our lives. Even if what we are passionate about does not become our career. There is true, lasting value in the parts of life that bring us joy. That said, passion can be fleeting. It’s like a sugar rush—exciting, but it crashes hard. Purpose, on the other hand, is what gets you out of bed every morning, even when the passion fades. Purpose is your "why," and it’s what keeps you going long after the excitement wears off. The trick is to find out how we can use our passions to create purpose.

"Your passion is for you. Your purpose is for others." -Jay Shetty

How to Do It:

• It's About what Matters: Stop chasing what excites you today and start focusing on what drives you every day. Think about what kind of impact you want to leave behind. It’s not just about what you love; it’s about what matters.
• The Power of No: If an opportunity doesn’t align with your purpose, say no. It’s easy to get distracted by shiny objects, but staying true to your purpose is the only way to find long-term fulfillment.
• Examine Your Childhood Interests: According to Robert Greene in his book "Mastery", our childhood experiences and natural inclinations often hold the key to discovering our true purpose. Greene suggests that by revisiting what you were naturally drawn to as a child, you can identify the areas where your true talents and passions lie, guiding you toward a career that aligns with your purpose.
• Explore Your Ikigai: The Japanese concept of Ikigai refers to the intersection of what you love, what you’re good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for. Finding your Ikigai can help you identify a fulfilling career that aligns with your purpose.

Quick Exercises:

• Purpose Mapping: Draw a simple map of your life. On one side, write down the moments when you felt truly fulfilled—those are clues to your purpose. On the other side, jot down your current career path. Connect the dots. Where do they intersect? Where do they diverge? Now you know where to focus your energy.
• Ikigai Diagram: Create a Venn diagram with four overlapping circles, labeled: "What You Love," "What You’re Good At," "What the World Needs," and "What You Can Be Paid For." Where these circles overlap is where your Ikigai lies. Use this exercise to explore where your passions and talents intersect with your purpose and potential career opportunities.

FOR EXAMPLE::

Let’s say you’re a nurse who has been working in a busy hospital for several years. While you’re skilled at patient care and find aspects of the job rewarding, you’ve recently felt burnt out by the high-pressure environment and the lack of time to truly connect with your patients. You’re passionate about holistic health and wellness and want to explore a career path that allows you to make a deeper, more personal impact on people’s lives.

Ikigai Diagram:

• What You Love: Helping people achieve their best health and well-being. Building strong, personal connections with patients. Focusing on preventive care and holistic health practices.
• What You’re Good At: Patient care and health education. Communicating complex medical information in an understandable way. Providing compassionate support to people during challenging health situations.
• What the World Needs: More focus on preventive care and wellness rather than just treating illnesses. Health professionals who can bridge the gap between traditional and holistic medicine. Personal, patient-centered healthcare that emphasizes long-term well-being.
• What You Can Be Paid For: Working as a holistic health coach or wellness consultant. Developing and leading wellness programs for corporations or communities. Starting your own practice focusing on integrative medicine or preventive care.

What to take from this:

• Your Ikigai might lie in transitioning from a traditional nursing role to becoming a holistic health coach or wellness consultant. This would allow you to continue helping people achieve better health, but in a way that aligns more closely with your values around holistic and preventive care. You could also consider starting your own practice, where you have more control over the patient experience and can focus on building meaningful, long-term relationships.?

Move 2: Stop Chasing Approval—Start Chasing Fulfillment.

Cut Through the Noise: External validation—whether it’s in the form of job titles, salaries, or recognition—can be a powerful motivator, but it often leaves you chasing after fleeting rewards. These external markers of success might feel satisfying momentarily, but they rarely provide lasting fulfillment. Real, enduring satisfaction comes from aligning your work with your inner values and what truly fulfills you, rather than what others expect or reward.

How to Do It:

• Listen to Your Inner Voice: Begin by tuning out the external noise and focusing on what genuinely makes you happy and fulfilled. This is about recognizing the difference between what you think you should want (based on societal expectations) and what you actually want. Start by asking yourself: What aspects of your work bring you joy, even if they don’t come with applause or a raise?
• Redefine Your Metrics of Success: Instead of measuring your success by external benchmarks like promotions or pay increases, redefine it in terms of personal growth, meaningful impact, and alignment with your core values. Consider what success means to you personally, outside of what others might consider successful. It might be about the quality of your work, the impact you’re making, or the relationships you’re building.
• Focus on the Journey, Not Just the Destination: Internal fulfillment often comes from the process, not just the end result. Find ways to enjoy the daily activities and challenges of your work. This might mean taking pride in your craftsmanship, finding joy in collaboration, or simply appreciating the small wins along the way.

Practical Exercise: Crafting Your Personal Fulfillment Statement

1. Identify What Fulfills You: Reflect on your work and list the tasks or activities that bring you genuine satisfaction. These might be moments when you lose track of time because you’re so engaged or tasks that leave you feeling proud and accomplished.
2. Craft a Fulfillment Statement: Write a brief statement that captures what fulfillment means to you in your work. This should be something you can refer back to when making career decisions or evaluating your current role.
3. Apply Your Fulfillment Statement: Use this statement as a guidepost. When faced with a career decision, ask yourself if it aligns with your personal fulfillment statement. If it doesn’t, consider how you might adjust your approach or seek opportunities that better align with your internal metrics of success.

FOR EXAMPLE:

Consider someone working in corporate finance who initially chased promotions and salary increases. Over time, they realized that what truly fulfilled them was helping others understand complex financial concepts. By shifting their focus from climbing the corporate ladder to mentoring colleagues and providing financial education, they found a deeper sense of purpose and satisfaction in their work, even if it didn’t come with immediate external rewards.

Go Deeper: Leveraging Personal Fulfillment in Team Settings

Internal fulfillment doesn’t have to be a solitary pursuit. Share your values and fulfillment statement with your team or manager. When teams align on values and seek fulfillment together, they often perform better and enjoy their work more. Discussing these values openly can lead to a more cohesive, motivated, and satisfied team environment.

Aligning your career with your values is a deeply personal journey that requires a shift from external validation to internal fulfillment. By listening to your inner voice, redefining your metrics of success, and focusing on what genuinely brings you joy, you can build a career that not only meets your professional needs but also resonates with your deepest values.

Sounds easy, right?

On paper, sure. But in reality, it’s not always as simple as dropping everything to pursue a new path. There are responsibilities, financial considerations, and practicalities that can’t be ignored. However, that doesn’t mean you’re stuck. You can start making small changes right now, within your current role, to align more closely with your purpose. This might mean seeking out projects that resonate with your values, finding ways to bring more of what fulfills you into your daily work, or even just shifting your mindset to be more present and intentional. It’s about making gradual adjustments that move you closer to your true calling, all while honoring the commitments you’ve already made.

Remember that this is a journey of finding meaning, of finding what matters to you. It isn't necessary to have everything figured out before you start - that only serves to keep us locked in place, waiting for a perfect moment that never arrives. The truth is, taking steps towards making these kinds of changes in attitude and action can be pretty uncomfortable and you will encounter resistance. What if I fail? What if I am wrong about this? What if my family thinks I am nuts? All normal - and a good indication that you are looking in the right places.

Challenge Yourself: What’s one step you can take today to start focusing more on internal fulfillment? How can you begin to shift your mindset away from external rewards and towards what truly makes you happy in your work?

For thought and conversation:

• How do you define fulfillment in your career?
• Share your first step toward finding true meaning in your work.

?