Purpose at work is non-negotiable. 

Given how important purpose in life is and the fact we spend most of our lives working – finding purpose at work is key to our well-being.

For some of us, this may feel like an uphill battle. But there is good news. The research shows that you only need to spend about 20% of your work efforts on purposeful activities to reap the benefits.

That is spending only one day in a five day work week on meaningful activities and you can avoid the associated negative effects like burnout and a life that feels… blah.

What this means for you? 

If you don’t find purpose in your current role right now – you don’t need to quit your job. You don’t need to take a big leap and follow your passions and dreams (unless you want to). 

Finding more purpose in your day could just be a matter of making a few small tweaks to your current role.

Signs you need need to dial up purpose at work

You may be asking yourself – do I need more purpose at work?

Here are some signs that you do: 

• You are bored at/with work
• You feel like you work just to pay the bills
• You don’t like your job
• You don’t feel challenged at work
• You don’t feel like your work is worthwhile or making a difference to anyone 

If any (or all) of these resonate with you. Then now is a good time to look at improving how purpose shows up for you at work.

What you need to know about your purpose

Working out how to add more purpose into your day might not be straight forward. You need to understand yourself.

Understanding what brings you a sense of purpose is about understanding your “why”. You want to understand why activities feel fulfilling and worthwhile to you.

To understand your why – you need to start with a bunch of “whats”. 

• What are your interests?
• What are your strengths?
• What engages and excites you?
• What motivates you?
• What do you enjoy doing that benefits others?
• What do you want to spend your time on?
• What do you avoid doing?
• What are your core values?

Looking at these answers holistically will allow you to connect with the things that are meaningful to you. And help you understand what you can tap into in your life and workplace.

The key to finding activities that bring you purpose is to think about the things that can encompass lots of your “whats” at once.

Ways we can find purpose at work

Now that you understand the sort of activities may feel meaningful to you. You can think of ways to apply them at work.

The list below provides different examples of how you can shape your experience in any role to try to dial up feelings of purpose.

Crafting 

Crafting is the art of making your current role feel purposeful (which you are aiming to do 20% of the time). Once you have identified the activities that bring you meaning – work with the people around you to make them happen. 

Don’t be afraid to think outside the box. If your manager can’t change your duties – are there other activities you can create yourself? Like mentoring or starting an educational lunchtime program?

Reframing 

How you frame your role will go a long way to how purposeful it feels to you. Research that surveyed janitors working at a hospital found those who considered themselves as part of the healing process for patients had a purposeful connection to their work. In contrast, those who just saw themselves as cleaners did not.

Flow

Do you have activities that immerse you – make you lose track of time – give you the feeling you are in your element. This is described by positive psychologists as Flow. Finding flow in your work will help it feel purposeful.

Relationships

Cultivating good relationships will improve your time at work and can open the doors to future purpose-driven opportunities.

Building relationships that allow you to educate and foster the talents of others will feel purposeful. Seize these opportunities when you can.

Learn

Purpose is fluid. New experiences and learning can help to shape your purpose journey and how it shows up for you at work.

Lean into things that interest and excite you and see where it takes you.

Be aligned

Research has shown being aligned with your organisation’s mission and purpose is a large factor in being happy at work.

If you can’t align yourself with the organisational goals – try to do it on a smaller scale. Does your purpose align with a personal client mission? Or, maybe to a project’s outcome?

Look outside

If you can’t align your goals at work with your purpose – try to look outside of work.

Volunteering your time – using meaningful skills and strengths – is a great way to get purpose into your world. You may also tick the boxes in your home and family life to hit your 20% weekly threshold that feels good.

Consider change

If you have tried to do all these things above – but havent got results that work for you – it might be time to consider a change. However, you can now create a checklist to use when approaching new opportunities.

The endless search for purpose at work

It is important to remember that purpose is fluid not set. So, you need to approach your journey with an open heart and mind. Be prepared to experiment and make sure you look to balance purpose and practicality.

There will be many opportunities lying in wait for you – so have fun with it. And remember – you only need to do it 20% of your week!