Are you doing STUFF that really MATTERS?
We know that one of the factors of having a DREAM JOB is to have a way to help people in a meaningful way.
We know that there is a direct correlation between having a fulfilling career and doing work that really matters.
So my question to you is this…
Are you DOING SHIT THAT MATTERS?
If you are at a place (like most people) where you aren’t finding much joy, gratification and fulfillment from the work you are doing now then ask yourself this question.
Ask yourself if the work that you do now has any real meaning.
Be totally honest with yourself…does it really matter?
Need help figuring it out?
Well if it does matter then it should meet a few requirements.
The requirements are that the work you do should have meaning and should help people in some way, shape or form.
So let’s take a look at the first one.
Your Work Should Have Meaning…To YOU!
Your work needs to matter!
It has to have meaning and should impact people in a positive way.
But the most important thing to consider is that if the work you are doing has meaning to YOU.
This can be tricky at times because the work that you do may in fact help people but it can still lack meaning to you.
Here’s an example…
Let’s say you are a personal trainer.
You specialize in weight loss and you help your clients change their lives through your exercise and nutrition programs.
As a matter of fact you have numerous clients that have indeed lost a lot of weight and changed their lives for the better.
So far this sounds like meaningful work doesn’t it?
Well the answer is YES and NO.
You see the part I left out is the fact the work you are doing (helping people through exercise and nutrition) has meaning and does in fact help people.
The only problem is that this type of work isn’t really cutting it for you personally.
Once upon a time you LOVED and LIVED FOR helping people get into better shape.
But over time your interest and passions have changed and now, even though you are doing work that helps people, you are finding less and less meaning in doing this type of work.
And you know what?
That is OK but…
The important thing here is to notice that since the work itself has less meaning to you it can start you down a path of being dissatisfied with your job.
Now there are plenty of trainers out there that find this work meaningful but if you aren’t one of them (for whatever reason) then it is next to impossible to find joy and fulfillment in this type of work.
In order to do the work you love you need to find work that impacts people in a positive way AND most importantly has real meaning to YOU.
Your Work Should Help People (In Some Way)
The next part of this piece of the puzzle is to understand that doing work that truly helps people is a big part of doing work you love.
When we talk about doing work that helps people oftentimes everyone thinks of jobs like doctors and nurses, social workers or working with some type of charity of non-profit.
But doing work that helps people in a positive way can actually take many shapes or forms.
The key here is to connect your strengths and skills to a group of people that you genuinely want to help.
If you are a skilled accountant you may work with small business owners becuase you have a true passion for helping them live the American Dream.
Or you may focus on entrepreneurs for the same reason.
The important part is to find and work with the type of client that you are passionate about helping.
If you are a graphic designer you could work with that non-profit that is doing impactful things that you truly care about.
Or you could focus on women owned businesses because as a female graphic design you can relate and really want to help women succeed in business.
The possibilities are endless but your goal is to find and target the clients or businesses that are doing things that resonate with you and see if you can help them.
But what if you are currently a sales rep or product manager or in another position that doesn’t give you the freedom to choose who you work with?
Well then I think its time to really evaluate if you are doing the right type of work, at the right company, with the right products or services and for the right people.
A big reason people feel disengaged at work is that one or more of the things above have no real meaning to them!
So after evaluating each of those things if you realize that your work really doesn’t help people in the way that truly has meaning to you then it is time to move on!
Now the examples above are FULL TIME scenarios but PART TIME or SIDE PROJECTS can be even easier.
If you current full time job is ok but you want to do more fulfilling “work” then identify a group of people that you want to help and figure out a way to do it!
Offer your services (maybe for a discount?) or to volunteer and maybe even intern.
Or you can start a side business that really has meaning to you and helps people in a way that fires you up!
Again the possibilities are really endless.
Bu if the thing you want to do MATTERS ENOUGH TO YOU then you will find a way.
We have plenty of examples of people who are finding that their part time or side hustle is giving them more gratification than their full time job.
This is the power of DOING SHIT THAT MATTERS!
So again I ask…Are YOU doing SHIT THAT TRULY MATTERS?
