Purpose, fulfillment, and satisfaction at work starts here
Is there something more…?
A question I hear clients ask themselves as they consider their work, their lives, and at the core, their purpose. Too often “purpose” holds a weight too heavy to carry and so we toss it aside and continue to push through, grind away, and hustle to the point of breaking. If only we could complete the next project, close the next deal, or get the next promotion - after all, if we “put in the time” for long enough, purpose and happiness will be restored, right?
The problem is, no one is going to hand you purpose. No one is going to hand you fulfillment. And you guessed right, no one is going to hand you happiness. The good news: you have access to all three of them at all times.
Purpose, fulfillment, and happiness are all sourced from inside you.
And when you become aware of who you are, what you’re good at, and what you want, you start to become conscious to the world inside and as a result, can expand in the world outside of you.
The net result: You can find the purpose in your work. You can choose to make work purposeful.
Start by trying on this definition of purpose:
The intention to contribute to others.
When purpose is focused on others, it feels good for you and for them.
Your contribution in the workplace is fulfilling because its impact is on more than just yourself. When your effort is aligned with a clear intention and backed by a sense of purpose, a sense of satisfaction is driven by intrinsic rather than extrinsic factors.
How do you get there?
By approaching your work from a place of integration where all of you and all aspects of your life come together. Living an integrated life requires ditching the compartmentalization, the hat wearing, the silos of living with everything separate. After all, your work, relationships, finances, and health are all a reflection of you. Yes you, the living and breathing human being. In other words, all domains of your life are your life.
When you live from a place of integration, you are able to bring your whole self to work.
To focus on who you are being. To understand yourself so that you can show up authentically. When we become aware and conscious of what drives us, inspires us, and comes easily to us (our strengths), it’s liberating! The freedom you’re so desperately craving can come from simply understanding why you’re showing up to work everyday.
Purpose is nothing more than understanding why.
And the better you understand yourself, your skills, and your strengths, the better you can identify your why. There likely is a theme, a simple word, phrase, or action that connects your life’s most impactful experiences together. That thread is where your purpose lies; intertwined amongst your successes and failures, your biggest opportunities and life lessons.
And when we know why we’re showing up, why we want to contribute to others, there is a shift. You can take the pressure off your work having to be your life’s purpose and instead focus on finding a connection between your work and what matters to you as a human being.
It can be as simple as the work that you’re doing serving the next step in where you want to go: your next role, promotion, or industry change. Or perhaps your work is helping you connect to something you are deeply passionate about. Further, your why could be encouraging and nurturing others on their career path, or demonstrating a healthy relationship to your children.
The toughest thing to face is when purpose has been lost.
When you are disconnected from why you’re showing up to work and no longer feel engaged. If I were to ask you what you’re up to and you don’t have an answer, it’s time to check in with yourself and figure out what is out of alignment. It might be the wake up call you need to get back in touch with yourself. These are the moments where work lacks purpose and fulfillment. When we don’t see anything beyond where we are.
The feeling of being stuck is a signal, a wake-up call.
Connect back to yourself, get a hold of what’s good, what you have to offer, what strengths you have to bring to the world and be open to a new way of thinking.
It will lift you up and as you lean into those things and bring them into the workplace, you begin to focus on the positive and you reconnect to purpose. Positivity and purposeful work are contagious. By lifting yourself out of complacency and disengagement, and shifting into being present and available, you open up access to new ideas, new thinking, and new opportunities. And it’s amazing how much you’ll see it reflected in others - and who doesn’t want to work with people that are open and connected and excited??
Get clear on why you show up to work, connect to the skills and strengths that light you up, and share your good work and contribution with others - and
Find the freedom and fulfillment you are seeking.
Kirsten Schmidtke is a professional coach, speaker, and lover of lake life. She works with leaders, creators, and entrepreneurs to help them up-level their careers, businesses, and lives. Are you ready to explore what’s possible for you? Contact Kirsten to start the conversation!
