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Find Purpose at Your Work, and You Will Feel Happier

Why do you do what you do? If you don’t have a purpose, you are not satisfied and likely to leave your job. Change it today.

What do you do? Do you like it?

People often ask these questions to get to know other people. The conversation continues. You may be honest and say you don’t like your work anymore. You even give reasons why.

Then you start thinking about changing your job. What should you do? You get many ideas while reading job ads: “That’s looking easy, I could do that.” or “Yet, they hire me as I fit completely to the description.”

Despite this, the grass isn’t greener at the new job. It is not what you do now, but why you do it that makes you happy. Changing a hat is only temporary. The purpose is what satisfies you.


When it gets lost in everyday routine…

You start a new job. You are excited and do your best to fit in and prove yourself. Yet, at some point curiosity is replaced by content and motivation by laziness.

Why is that?

Imagine you fall in love. Everything is perfect until you start living together. Differences come up to the surface. Routine sneaks into your relationships, and everything fades.

Likewise, at work.

When it is not new anymore, you see problems and dysfunctions in your teams. You put down the pink glasses and notice that you are not happy anymore.

Losing an illusion makes you wiser than finding a truth. — Ludwig Borne

Every day seems the same. You do not even remember how excited you used to be. Now you are only annoyed.

You do not feel your work contributes to the company’s objectives. The agenda routine is eating you alive. Why are you there?

Why are you not happy anymore?

One day you come to work, and it hits you — you are not happy anymore. Some of the reasons could be, for example:

  • You are not listened to.

  • You don’t feel appreciated.

  • Everyone is promoted, but you.

  • You lose interest and drive to change things.

  • You simply don’t see why your work is important. A monkey could do it.

When you reach this point, you are unsure if you can continue working there. You start asking yourself: “Should I stay, or should I go?” It depends.

I like recommending a bit of an analytical approach before quitting your job. Can you do a bit of introspection and see the big picture? Make a chart of your career so far and think about what you have done and how motivated you were. Why did you like it in the first place?

See what changed. That is significant. Understand your development and your current position. Why are you not happy? Can it be fixed? What is missing?

Take it slow before you decide

You have basically decided to leave your job when you realize you are not happy there. But! What if you take it slow before you make the final cut?

Many things can be in fact fixed if shared.

Some of my friends are frustrated about their lack of purpose and salary. While they have mastered complaining in their private lives, they are silent at work.

What?!

It is easier to leave than to get into discussions, right? That is a false idea. It might be repeated in new work. You cannot escape entirely.

Make a list of priorities. You would be surprised how much money and benefits people usually leave on the table. They do not negotiate. The most important thing is to prepare your mindset to be open about why you are not happy at work. Be brave and say out loud that you are missing a purpose.

Make a game plan

It is time to talk about your priorities. You need them to feel happy at work. When you are happy, you are productive and loyal. So, it is a win situation for your work.

You need, in fact, two game plans. One for you and one for your team and boss. Don’t expect other people to solve all your problems. You need to work on your mindset and motivation too.

Finding a purpose is considering what your business does and why it is worthwhile. How do you fit into the picture? To your team?

“We all make choices, but in the end, our choices make us.” — Ken Levine

Assertiveness should be evident in your game plan for your team and boss. Say what you need and why you feel that way. Be open and not ashamed of your feelings. You have nothing to lose. You can leave anytime.

The goal of your personal plan is to feel happier. It can happen at any job. You may find out you want to change the field. That’s fine. As long as you feel that is the right purpose for you.

You never waste time!

Every experience is for something. You may feel that you wasted time doing some work or that you stayed at your previous job too long. Well, there was a purpose for that for sure. What was it?

Money? Good relationships with your colleagues or clients? When you know that, you will feel happier. If you don’t know what you’re looking for, you are unlikely to be satisfied. Try to define it.

Sometimes all you need is to change your mind, not your job.

Find your lost purpose and get back on track. Maybe even today.



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