When it comes right down to it, it’s probably fair to say that just about every single person would like to have a career that seems to come with a sense of purpose and deeper meaning to them.
Unfortunately, great numbers of people in the world today find themselves in an altogether different – and less positive – situation, living something more like the “lives of quiet desperation” described by Henry David Thoreau centuries ago.
If you feel like your day job is simply a grind that wears you down, and that feels totally devoid of meaning and purpose, finding ways to step into a career that helps you to experience a significantly greater sense of purpose can be very empowering and uplifting.
Here are some tips for finding a career with purpose.
Think of your higher order values – what sort of career would help to serve those?
A major component in whether or not a given career path seems purposeful to you, is your higher order values as a whole.
Ultimately, you need to ask yourself what it is you really care about in life, what kind of person you want to be, and what values, principles, and priorities you have and would like to embody in your life to the greatest possible extent.
When seeking out a “purpose-driven” career, you need to ask yourself whether the career will contribute positively to your higher order values, and whether it will align with those.
It might be, for example, that medical malpractice attorneys strike you as having careers that align with your underlying value for helping others. Or, it may be that an important value if you is to be a good communicator – in which case certain customer service roles maybe just up your alley.
Learn to fall in love with your work and to find meaning in whatever it is you do
While there will certainly always be careers that you find naturally more meaningful and purposeful than others, one of the most important features of people who have careers that they find deep purpose and meaning in, is that they look for the meaning and purpose that’s already there in whatever it is they do.
Just about any job that you might have is likely to have a deeper and more significant purpose associated with it, if you only keep your eyes open for it.
If you’re a waiter in a restaurant, for example, you’re not just someone who carries plates – you’re someone who can contribute greatly to helping families and friends to experience great outings together, and to forge uplifting and deep memories.
Look for jobs and careers that allow for growth
Generally speaking, jobs and careers that allow for a good degree of growth will tend to feel more purposeful and meaningful than those that don’t, and that leave you feeling as though you’ve hit a dead end. In order to thrive, and to feel as though you are really on an upwards trajectory, you should probably do what you can to make sure that the job you’re in offers you opportunities for growth, movement and expansion.
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