Many people feel their job (and their work) is not meaningful. They feel their work doesn't matter, doesn't DO anything, doesn't help others, doesn't make a contribution to society, or make a difference. Many workers are disconnected from their work and feel their job is just a job, just a way to make money.
In their most recent published survey (2007) the Conference Board reports that, "Today, less than half of all Americans say they are satisfied with their jobs, down from 61 percent twenty years ago." In addition, "Less than two out of every five workers under the age of 25 are satisfied with their jobs. This segment of the population has the lowest level of satisfaction and the lowest level ever recorded in the nearly 20-year history of this survey. Workers age 45-54 expressed the second lowest level of satisfaction with less than 45 percent content with their current job."
As a worker it helps you to feel that your work is meaningful. If you feel your work, or job, has real meaning you will do your job better, you can prevent job burnout, you will be more productive, have less stress, be less bored, less fatigued and will be happier at work. And, as a result, you are likely to be more successful.
If you feel your job is meaningless, you’re wrong - it DOES have meaning. It DOES help others. It DOES make a difference. You just have to look at your work differently and find the true meaning and purpose of your job.
How do you do that?
Forget the work and the job title for a moment and look at what your company or organization does. Does it make and/or sell a product? Does it provide a service?
What is the category of the product or service? i.e. construction, insurance, aerospace, gov’t, etc.
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Who buys or uses the product or service?
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How does the product or service help people or improve their life? i.e. does it save people time, give them more independence, provide money or food or education or something else that people want or need?
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Even though you may not be the big boss, whether you are in reception, customer service, data entry, sales, marketing, human resources, on the loading dock or in the classroom, your job is a key part of that product or service getting out there and helping people improve their life. You, YOUR job, YOUR work is an important and meaningful part of the big picture. Your job, your work does have meaning! And DOES make a difference!
Think about that for a few moments. Now, do you feel better about your job? Does your job now have more meaning? Will it be easier to go to work knowing that by doing your job you are helping people? By the way, we didn't change your job we just changed how you look at it. And that's all it took. Now, go to work happily, do your job well and help people improve their life!
Andrew Lawrence is the author of numerous inspiration articles and books, including "The Happiness Transformation" (http://TheHappinessTransformation.com). He lives happily and productively in Los Angeles and loves to help people improve their life.