DOES WORK ACTUALLY MATTER?

It’s Christmas time.

A time to spend with friends and family.

A time to spend enjoying festive pleasures.

A time to switch off – hopefully.

It’s also a time to reflect on what’s actually important in life. What are you priorities? And where does work rank in those priorities?

Basically, is work actually important?

Does it really matter?

OF COURSE NOT!

Of course work doesn’t matter. Whether you work really hard every day, and whether it feels like the work you’re doing is making a big difference, or having a big impact, does it really matter? No*.

When Mark wins a big contract for his Investor relations firm, will the world become a better place?

When Lucy finds a new solution that will save her law firm ￡100,000s every year, does anything really change in the wider universe?

When Jamie deploys a new algorithm that improves his customers’ experience, will the earth move?

Of course it won’t.

Nothing we do at work is really matters.

And before you think I’m being extremely cynical, I think this mindset is a positive one. Often, when matters get extremely stressful at work, and it looks like the walls are closing in, my team and I take this approach – that work doesn’t matter. What matters is our loved ones, our friends, and our families – the people that rely on us, and who we rely on.

When we take a minute to zoom out a look at the bigger picture, it helps us achieve some perspective and generate calm.

And then what do we do?

Well, we get back to work of course…

Because actually, when you think about it, work really does matter.

OF COURSE WORK MATTERS!

Work matters because we get pride out of what we do.

Work matters because it gives us a sense of purpose, and often because this purpose really does make a difference.

Work matters because it is a place where we can develop and grow as people.

Work matters because it’s a very big part of our lives. Let me put this in perspective for you… If you have a 40-year career – which is very conceivable – you are likely to spend over 80,000 hours working. This is a huge amount of time!

Imagine spending 80,000 hours of your life miserable... What a waste would that be?

Yet, sadly this happens.

Sadly, many people dread Monday mornings.

Sadly, many people are robbed of the chance to enjoy their work.

I use the word robbed deliberately. The leading cause of unhappiness at work is bad bosses. Bad managers. Bad leaders.

My point here is that in the larger picture of life, things like family, friends and happiness come before work in priority. However, work influences all of these things. If we are happy at work, we are happy out of work, which means we’re happier with our family and friends too. Furthermore, as leaders, we are the ones that make the difference between someone being happy at work or not.

So as you reflect this Christmas, look forward to 2019. Think to yourself:

How can I bring the joy to work next year?

How can I increase our levels of happiness?

And

How can I be the positive difference I want to be?

Merry Christmas, and see you in 2019 ??

*Of course there are many jobs out there, such as nurses, doctors, teachers and so may other amazing professions that make a huge immediate and positive impact every single day.