Is your work a calling, a career, or is it just a job?

Working is a big part of our life, when you consider that we spend a third or more of our weekday doing it. Have you stopped to consider what work means to you and why you do it?

I have been reading “The Happiness Advantage” by Shawn Achor for the second time and he shares a study by Yale psychologist, Amy Wrzesniewski who studied “how the mental conceptions we have of our jobs affect performance.” I suspect that it also affects many other parts of our lives.

Those who view their work as “a job” are working for (that $20 an hour), or just looking at it as a paycheck to pay their bills. They are excited to leave the workplace every day and simply look forward to retirement.

As “a career,” they are not only working for the pay, but also for advancement and personal growth.

However, for those who have “a calling,” there is a higher purpose to their work. They feel their work “is fulfilling not because of external rewards but because they feel it contributes to the greater good, draws on their personal strengths, and gives them meaning and purpose.”

It reminds me of a story I heard many years ago. A woman was walking down the street and noticed three bricklayers working. She stopped and asked the first one what he was doing, and a little annoyed by her question he said “I’m laying brick, can’t you see? Now leave me alone.”

She asked the second one what he was doing, and he replied “I’m building a wall. It’s got to be nice and straight so I can be proud of it when I’m done.”

Finally, she asked the third one the same thing. He said, “I’m building a cathedral to inspire people for centuries.”

All three of them were doing the same work, but each had a different perspective on why they were doing it. How did each of them feel about their work and who probably was doing the best job?

Every organization is adding value to the lives of their customers, or they could not stay in business. Even if you are doing something perceived as mundane, such as selling make up in a retail store, you can make that a higher purpose. You are not simply selling make-up, but you are enhancing the beauty and confidence of the people you sell to. You may also be making the world a more beautiful place because of your efforts. I have had several discussions with others about how the work they are doing is much greater than simply the income they receive.

Are you just simply going to work for your paycheck or is there a greater reason? How about your employees? How can you create and convey your mission at work to help those around you understand and express that higher purpose of what you all do?

What are you doing to inspire others at your workplace? Let me know what you think.

If you’d like to discuss how I can help you and your team discover and embrace your mission, reach out to me at http://stevekarski.com/training-workshops/