3 ways you can give your job meaning again
Hand on heart, dear readers: Have you ever heard the old Change saying „Love it Change it or Leave it“? Yes? Then let's apply the philosophy behind it directly to your career.
How much do you like your job? Do you love it idolatrously, is it more of a necessary evil or do you get an ulcer just thinking about it? If you like your job, then you belong to a small and exclusive minority, because the majority of people are at best dissatisfied with their own professional activity. I even know a lot of people who downright hate it. Would you agree with me? But if this is the case, why do so few people act accordingly and make a change? The answer is as simple as it is complicated: It's the fear of change. The fear of the unknown.
Love it Change it or Leave it: Translation in German
Because „Love it Change it or Leave it“ can best be translated as follows: „Love it. Change it. Or leave it.“ And so many people are simply terrified of the second and third points in particular. And even though this applies to almost all areas of life, the fear of change is most intense in business.
Because isn't that the case? In hardly any other area of life does fear dominate our actions as much as at work. There is a simple reason for this, because nowhere else do two of the most important values for us humans collide so violently. I'm talking about security on the one hand and the urge for freedom on the other.
Some time ago, I read about a study that new employees know after two weeks at the latest whether they will stay with the company in the long term. Nevertheless, most of these people who are dissatisfied only leave after two years. The reverse is also true: companies usually know after three to six months whether they want to keep a new employee long-term. However, if this is not the case, they do not give notice until after three years on average.
The reason for this kind of seemingly absurd behavior? Quite simply fear. Fear of not getting a new job. Fear of not finding a better employee. Fear of a possible conflict. And so people prefer to accept the alternative, which ultimately leads to a single state of affairs: Dissatisfaction.
Love it Change it or Leave it: Life is too short for dissatisfaction
Far too many compromises are being made on the part of both employees and companies. You have probably also heard of the famous Gallup study. This is now being used almost inflationarily by speakers, book authors and lecturers of all stripes and states that in 2014, only 14% of all employees in German companies had a high level of loyalty to their company. In contrast, 61% felt only a low level of loyalty and a full 23% had long since resigned internally and were only physically present (and not always, the yellow slip sends its regards).
These situations always break my heart, because such anxiety-driven dissatisfaction shouldn't be necessary. And since we spend most of our waking hours at work, nothing should be as high a priority as doing a job that challenges, fulfills and makes us grateful. And companies of all sizes should also put a lot of effort into ensuring that their employees feel comfortable and can develop their full potential.
Responsibility as the basis for meaningful change
Forward-looking companies have long understood one fact: If people can contribute their skills, talents and strengths in a suitable working environment, then they are capable of exceptional performance. Richard Branson - multimillionaire, owner of over 260 companies and founder of the Virgin Group - summarized this very aptly on his blog with the following sentence: „Give your employees a mission that matches their aspirations. When you challenge people, you will be surprised at what they are capable of.“
And of course I know that not all entrepreneurs have such a great attitude as Richard Branson. There are a large number of companies that don't place as much emphasis on prioritizing employee retention. You may even work in such a company. Of course, the easiest thing in the world would be to join the chorus of whiners and complain about how awful your job is. However, I would like to take this opportunity to remind you how much power personal responsibility can have.
If you feel even the slightest hint of professional dissatisfaction, I would like to invite you to make a promise here and now to actively change something about it. What do I mean by that? I'm talking about a commitment to yourself to turn a boring and frustrating job into a meaningful activity that will provide you with a high level of satisfaction every day. Motivation pursue. Not just once, but every single day. Always remember: Love it Change it or Leave it. Or to put it another way: a job is only an ordinary job if you decide to value it as such.
Love it Change it or Leave it: 3 effective tips
Instead, every conceivable activity really does give you the opportunity to develop your unique talents and abilities. However, this is only possible if what you do for eight (and in many cases many more) hours a day has a deeper meaning and fills you with satisfaction in the morning and gratitude in the evening.
So let's look at three ways in which you can use the power of meaningful activity to significantly increase the level of personal responsibility, success and fulfillment in your life. Because nothing prevents the feeling of fear as fundamentally as thinking and acting with a sense of purpose. Because you will suddenly be acting from a state of certainty that will equip you with an enormous amount of courage and determination.
Love it Change it or Leave it Factor #1: Perceive the existing meaning
Time and again, I notice how reflexively people focus on all the things in their job that they can't change anyway. They get annoyed by unfair superiors, lazy colleagues and customers who are far too demanding. They complain about the general conditions and company policy and conjure up the good old days. And they often forget to focus on the good things, on everything that works well and makes their own workplace special.
I am convinced that every job can have its good sides and a deeper meaning. Yes, really any job. But only if we are prepared to see it. So take a close look. Pay attention to the values in your company, the things you love about your job and all the little things that fill your heart with joy as soon as you think about them. In this way, a simple job will quickly become a meaningful and satisfying activity that gives you the chance to express your own greatness.
Love it Change it or Leave it Factor #2: Create a meaning
If, despite an intensive search, you don't notice anything worthwhile about your current job, resist the impulse to take refuge in victimhood. Instead, take action yourself. I recently read a nice saying on Instagram: „The world is full of wonderful people. If you can't find one, be one yourself.“ There's a lot to that, isn't there?
And the same applies to the question of the Sense of our jobs. Your workplace is also full of meaningful aspects. And if you can't find any, then create some yourself. There are countless ways to give meaning to seemingly unimportant things. Bookkeeping, routine tasks, customer phone calls, staff meetings or the journey to work. „But Ilya, what sense could all these things have?“ I can think of a few possibilities. For example, because it is important for a particular customer, because you are making a contribution to your team, because your industry fulfills an important social purpose or because you want to be a good example for your colleagues.
And sometimes the greatest sense is simply that it is the right thing to do. Because you have signed a contract, because you have agreed to do it or because people are relying on you.
Love it Change it or Leave it Factor #3: Don't do anything pointless anymore
I guarantee that with the first of the two options, you can turn an ordinary job into a great one in over 95 percent of all cases. meaningful activity can do. But what if, despite all your efforts, you are unable to find or create even a small spark of meaning in your job?
Then you should look for a sensible alternative as soon as possible and follow the well-known wisdom of change „Love it change it or leave it“. Does the thought alone scare you? But what would be the alternative? Doing things for eight hours a day that frustrate you, restrict you and make you unhappy? That's 40 hours in a week, 160 hours in a month and 1,920 hours in a year that you spend in a job that you don't like, loathe or even hate.
Shouldn't this fact scare you much more? Face up to this fear, tear down the mental walls and create living and working conditions that make sense. You will not regret it.
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