How to Find Meaning in Tedious Work
Sunday, October 11th, 2009
Your tasks may not be making you unhappy at work, but they may not be making you happy either.
One thing I’ve learned over the past three years of researching work happiness is that work doesn’t make you unhappy. Only you can do that.
But what about great work?
Does work that fits with your passion and strengths make you happy?
For me it’s a resounding – Yes!
The reason is that I am able to feel connected with this type of work.
Doing great work does make me happier. When I’m working on a blog post that I know will change people’s lives for the better, I feel happy and excited.
Purpose
Great work makes me feel like I have a purpose.
This emotional connection to fulfilling work makes me happy, and these feelings then go beyond me.
Let’s say I love building model airplanes. I could do this day and night because it fits my needs to do detailed work. This makes me feel happy, but there is no greater good. I’m just doing this for myself.
If I’m building a model airplane to give to sick children at the local hospital, the emotional connection is easy to see. Then I’m doing work that feels meaningful.
On the opposite spectrum, if I’m doing work that I can’t connect with then I’m extending my frustrated feelings beyond myself.
Several years ago, I was the caretaker of large property in PA for about 4 years. I essentially mowed grass for a living. It paid the rent, but I viewed the work as pointless because the grass was only going to grow back. I remember thinking to myself, I’ll just have to do it all over again in two weeks. By thinking these thoughts, I attached my feelings of meaninglessness to my effort. I only upset myself more by extending my negative feelings, and I was unable to see the greater good of my actions.
Finding the Connection
If I could have found a connection to how cutting someone’s grass mattered beyond my own feelings, I could have felt happy about my work. I could have viewed my grass cutting work as a way to help people feel proud of their home. I know I would have enjoyed the thought of helping people appreciate their home, and this would have helped me appreciate my own actions. Instead of focusing on the fact that the grass would just grow back in two weeks, I could have focused on the positive reactions of the property owners when they pulled into their driveway and saw the perfectly cut grass.
If you can find work that makes you feel good while also giving you a greater purpose, now we are talking about work bliss. This is a rare state and hard to reach, but one that I recommend that you strive for.
Usually, before you are aware of a project/task, you are in a neutral state. It’s only when you extend your emotions (grasping) that you become happy or sad/angry/upset. Whether you are grasping for positive or negative feelings, you often end up pushing yourself out of rhythm. You become emotionally connected to pain and/or joy.
It’s important to be able to let go and find that natural pull toward the work that inherently makes you feel excited, proud and joyful.
Don’t force the issue. Let the feelings come and then try to steer them toward the positive aspects of your work. The more you practice this, the easier it will get. You’ll slowly start to see joy come out of even the most mundane work.
When you are able to feel connected to a greater purpose, you can almost always find the positive in your work. The more you study your own reactions the easier it will be to do work that connects you to a larger purpose.
How about You?
What type of work makes you feel good and serves a greater purpose in your life?
Need a boost in your work happiness. Then check out Happy at Work Project and start one yourself.
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Stacey Shipman recently wrote a wonderful post called “How I Found “Work Happiness”, Finally.” It’s a great take on happiness at work, so go check it out.
If you enjoyed this post then you’ll probably enjoy these articles as well:
- 21 Questions You Should Ask Yourself Every Monday
- 55 Reasons to Subscribe to Work Happy Now
- No More Complaining at Work – A Thirty Day Challenge
Image courtesy of Beige Alert.
Great topic, finding meaning in the tedious stuff. Most of us have tedious stuff to do, even if we love what we do for work. When we don’t, it can all seem tedious at times. Meaningless, like you mentioned. But sometimes we just have to get through it. Thinking of the bigger picture, what your small task is really a bigger part of, is great advice.
Also, disconnecting from needing meaning from a job can help too, at times when you have no choice but stay in the work you’re doing. In these situations, it can help to remember that we don’t always have to have meaning in our jobs. Sometimes, they can just be a job, something we do for now, until we can do something that makes us happier.
Hi Karl – This is an interesting topic. On the one hand, linking work tasks to values/purpose is tremendously helpful, especially when we feel trapped by work that just doesn’t seem to fit us. It can move us out of overwhelm and stress and into a more objective, global place. On the other hand, though, ALL work, no matter how blissful and in sync with passions, strengths, etc., has moments of tedium. So many clients have said to me, “You must absolutely love your work and look forward to getting out of bed every day. That’s what I want.” I always tell them that in spite of loving what I do, there are days when I don’t want to work. Or tasks that are tedious. So sometimes I think people set themselves up to be continually disappointed and stuck because they imagine that satisfying work means perfect work that is always happy and joyous. But there is no such thing as perfection, in life or work. Thanks for the thought provoking post!
Karl, I found work life happiness by discovering and fully engaging in my calling. Nothing makes me happier than deep fulfillment and lots of money. That is possible for everyone.
When I have clients who are stuck (well at least they think they are) in somewhat meaningless work I have them accurately see that this work is only temporary as they work to replace it. All work serves a purpose and if we can find a purpose that we do not resist then we are better off for it. Your suggested methods here work well in that regard.
Really great topic… It’s hard to find meaning in tedious work but it IS possible. Thanks for sharing these great insights.
Hi Karl
What type of work makes me feel good is definitely work that I enjoy, but more importantly that adds value to others. So I share your same passion and enthusiasm for writing blog posts that can change people’s lives.
I love work where I can be creative, where I can learn and grow through it and with it, and which allows me to express a sense of freedom and individuality.
Great topic you stirred here indeed – we can I believe find purpose in everything if we allow it.
Thanks for this Karl — stepping back and taking a 30,000-ft view of why you’re doing what you’re doing, I’ve found, is a great way to restore that sense of direction that a lot of us often lose in our work — even if the “day job” we’re doing is just a way to pay the bills so we can keep up our creative pursuits.
Hi Karl,
Great post and another great reminder that it is so important to have a proper perception about things. My day job is not my passion but it allows me to work on my passion which I love. Writing and spirituality are two things that bring me great bliss. I hope to be able to make a living doing both but until then I have to work as a lawyer.
The hours are long and the people are not always pleasant but I always remind myself that this job gives the opportunity to do so much and to help others in the process. With that outlook, I do not mind my job so much.
Thank you for the link love.
This is why I enjoy teaching yoga. I only teach a couple of classes per week, but it makes people feel good, and that’s why I continue to do it.
Sometimes I forget about that as I’m getting in my car on a cold morning wishing I was back in bed, but when class is over and I hear “I love your class, you give me options that actually make yoga accessible to me” well, then that cold morning suddenly becomes very warm. And I am brought back to reality.
Hi Miche, You make a great point. Sometimes a person can get too attached to the outcome from their actions. When a person can pull back a little and find a little harmony, it can make things easier to handle.
Hi Patty, There is no perfect job. When a person appreciates this they can let go and enjoy where they are at.
Hi Tom, You know what makes you feel good. That’s it. That’s why you can connect so easily to your work bliss.
Hi Positively Present, It’s hard to find meaning, but worth the effort.
Hi Evita, I believe creative work is one of the most important aspects to working happy.
Hi Chris, There is always some way to enjoy your work. Even if it’s not your life calling then that means that you need to work a little harder during your off hours. (Well, maybe not you, but working people in general.)
Hi Nadia, There are always opportunities to help people at a job. Otherwise the person wouldn’t have the job. We have our jobs to deliver value. When that value is no longer needed than there is no more job. (not always, but usually)
Hi Stacey, When we take a second to listen to others they can really give us that extra spark to enjoy the work that we do.
I find when I can’t find meaning in my work, I can connect with the people I do it with. Either way it can be a celebration!
I read a book by Dale Carnegie a while back in which he describes how someone close to him–I think it was his wife–had a tedious job and she would make the best of it by setting up little competitions for herself to see if she could do things a little bit faster and a little bit better each day. So even if you have to do work that you find to be tedious, you can make it better with your attitude, like you point out Karl. The best work is when you can achieve the flow state and just become one with your work.
We responded to this post over at:
http://www.slaughterdevelopment.com/2009/10/13/joy-from-tedium/
Enjoy!