Self-realization and fulfilment at work

How can I find meaning in my work?

We tend to deal with the question in the title when an event in our life changes our thinking. Our job choices are often the result of unconscious decisions. When you are in high school, for example, you are not necessarily aware of what jobs there are and what people do in these jobs. Most of the time, we are more concerned with what courses are offered in higher education and what are the criteria for successful admission.

Our decisions are based primarily on information we receive from our environment, from our teachers, from our parents, and what we see in real life. But in reality, we have much more possibilities than what we see in our teens or twenties. The choice of workplace and work is often made difficult by the fact that we are not aware of our abilities, nor do we know the motivation that can drive us in choosing a profession. That’s why we often choose jobs that we don’t see the meaning of and can’t be fulfilled in.

At the same time, due to external information noise, it is difficult for us to pay attention to what is really good for us, what we really want. Self-realization and fulfilment at work is an extremely complex task. That’s why so many of us find out later that we want to do something different because we are not happy with what we’re doing. It’s true what they say, it’s never too late, that there’s always a chance to change.

Strange as it may seem, but extremes can also help us in our search for the meaning of work. It also helps when we experience that for some reason we don’t feel very good about what we’re doing, it’s not useful, and we don’t know what to do about it, but it also helps a lot when we experience the opposite extreme. These are orientation points, that we need to build into our self-awareness so that we can plan or career paths much more consciously.

We spend most of our lives at work. So, it is no coincidence that many people find meaning in work and that makes their lives meaningful. There are two ways of looking at work. One is that we seek meaning in the work we do every day, and the other is that we see work as something necessary, outside of our real lives, as just a source of income. If we view work in the latter way, we give ourselves less opportunity to gain experience in life.

If we are unsure about our work, it is worth asking ourselves a few questions, such as:

• Do I really have to choose this path?
• Is the action I take through my work meaningful to me?
• What value does what I do have for me or for others?
• Do I feel good about what I’m doing?

Answering these questions can help us find meaning in our work and even to find our vocation. At the same time, it takes courage to face these answers in front of ourselves and others.

To be committed in a workplace, we must first find meaning in our work. True commitment begins with personally found meaning in every case. Finding meaning at work is important, because then we can overcome obstacles more easily and cope with stress better, we can develop better ways of coping, our energy level increases, it supports our health and well-being, and as a result we perform better at work, we are more innovative, more creative.

Meaningful work is not a luxury, and we should not think that it can be achieved only at a certain level. Anyone can find meaning in their work, regardless of their level of employment, because we can create value at all levels. When we find personal meaning, we can see our work as a profession.

Practical tips to help you find meaning in your work:

• Connect meaningfully with others: we have a great chance of finding meaning if we are able to connect with others in our workplace and experience the importance of these relationships. Getting to a place where people are organized around a common goal, it can help us live the experience of belonging somewhere. And when we connect with others, it is easier for us to follow a common goal, stay in the same direction and take responsibility for achieving that goal.
• Commit to a deeper purpose: our work always has an overarching purpose from the employer’s point of view. In our work, we must also seek the meaning that is associated with it. For example, a good manage ensures a stress-free work environment for his subordinates.
• Have a positive attitude towards life: the physical and mental health of employees is very important for the development of a meaningful work in a workplace. If this cannot be achieved, if employees are anxious and afraid, then they become inflexible in different situations, they are constantly focused on the difficulties, so there is less room for good experiences. That’s why it’s worth focusing on what you want, not what you don’t want in your workplace. This can help us look at our situation from a different perspective. We have to say yes to life as a whole, because it has many advantages. We can say yes to all of life if we are open, patient and positive. This is particularly important at work, as we spend most of our time there. Resilience, a positive attitude, openness, a constructive outlook on life and an accepting ability are the essential factors for finding meaning. Fear and anxiety, on the other hand, limit us.

All of this can help us to see more meaning in our work or to realize that the work we do is not meaningful. The deeper goals will be found when we have a deeper self-knowledge, when we know our own talents, our own needs. Without these, we are easily distracted by external stimuli. In our search for meaning, an outsider, a friend, a close acquaintance, a psychologist, a coach can help us a lot, because they can give us useful and relevant feedback.

Self-developer Academy lecture: Vera Farkas psychologist, life and business coach, career- and life consultant