According to recent research by McKinsey, a global consulting firm, 82% of employees say their organization’s purpose is important to how they view their jobs. It’s a cornerstone of how they find meaning in their own roles, in other words.
Misalignment with an organization’s purpose is not the only reason you might feel as if your work has lost meaning, however. It could be specific to your job duties, related to something going on outside of work, or attributable to any number of other issues.
No matter the reason, you deserve to find meaning in your work — and your life. This is a message shared by many inspirational figures — from David Miscavige, leader of the Scientology religion, to the many talented, purpose-driven executives who’ve distinguished themselves in the private sector.
To recover the sense of professional purpose you feel slipping away, do these seven things.
1. Do Your Best to Diagnose the Problem.
First, do your best to define what ails you. This is more difficult than it may seem at first. You may have only a vague feeling that something is not quite right. It may take some introspection, and possibly candid conversations with trusted confidantes, to get to the root (or roots) of the issue.
Once you feel that you understand why your work is less meaningful than in the past, it’s time to take action. The remaining strategies on this list will help you do that.
2. Hold Firm On, and Celebrate, Your Values.
Many professionals who find themselves adrift are able to “come back” by defining and re-centering on their most deeply held values. Even in roles that don’t appear to have a direct, positive impact on the world, a values-centric approach can really change the dynamic.
For example, by living her values of “curiosity, compassion and contribution” in her work, University of Iowa professor Amy Colbert was able to appreciate the privilege of serving as a department chair at a prestigious university.
“As department chair, one of my most meaningful activities was mentoring junior faculty,” Colbert says. “I tried to craft required performance reviews into two-way ongoing conversations about success and support in a way that combined my values of compassion and contribution….Being clear about what you value can help you find activities that align with those values.”
3. Hold Yourself Accountable for Your Actions.
Strong organizations are strong because they hold roleplayers accountable. It’s going to happen one way or another, so why not take the initiative and hold yourself accountable first?
You don’t have to hold performance “self-reviews” every quarter or year, although that might not be a bad idea. What’s important is that you regularly check in to confirm that your work remains aligned with your values. If you see signs of slippage, adjust accordingly.
4. Celebrate the “Difference” You’re Able to Make.
Another way Colbert found greater meaning in her work was to celebrate the visible differences she was able to make through said work. At some point, she realized that it wasn’t always clear when this was happening, so she decided to be more attentive and mindful from day to day and week to week. She updated her “done list” to include examples of “difference-making” and to (humbly) share “moments of meaningfulness” with others.
5. Ask Yourself How You’ll Look Back on This Period in Your Life.
According to another recent research report by McKinsey, the global pandemic caused nearly 70% of workers around the world to more deeply consider their purpose in life. This trend was one of the factors contributing to the “great resignation” of the early 2020s, when an unusually large number of people voluntarily quit their jobs and sought employment more aligned with their values.
With that in mind, psychologist Jasmijn Eerenberg recommends that all workers — before making the possibly rash decision to quit their jobs — think about how they’ll look back on their lives. She advises people to imagine themselves at 80, in a quiet moment of reflection: Will their memories of their present selves be positive, negative, or neutral? If negative or neutral, what could they do differently right now?
6. Find Ways to Stay Relevant As Your Role Changes.
The preceding tips presume that you have considerable agency over your work life. Most likely, this is true, perhaps more than you realize.
However, it’s also true that not everything about your professional role lies within your control. You may find your responsibilities changed for good reasons (promotions) or bad reasons (cost-cutting or internal reorganization) or just in the normal course of business. How you react to these changes is an important part of the larger project of finding meaning in the thing you spend much of your waking life doing.
7. Do What You Love, and Give Back, Outside of Work.
What about the weekends, evenings, and days off, when you aren’t officially on the job? That’s your time, and it’s your “job” to make the most of it.
To make that time more meaningful, look for opportunities to give back to organizations and causes that align with your values. For extra credit, push your employer to set aside time at work for charitable work, which can improve not only your sense of professional meaning but your colleagues’ as well.
“These initiatives have been proven to significantly enhance employee satisfaction and engagement,” says corporate philanthropy expert Eric Burger. “A vast majority of employees who regularly participate in volunteer activities through their workplace express a better work experience.”
Find Your Purpose
Purpose-driven work is valuable work. And it bears repeating that you, personally, deserve to find purpose in your professional life.
This won’t happen immediately. It takes time to recover lost meaning in any aspect of your life. This is why it’s so important to begin the work now. The strategies described above will help, but remember: The journey is yours and yours alone.
