Tag: Why We Work

Working With Your Values

Happiness, Success, The Pathway To Fulfilment

When I was around 19 years old I got a free razor through the post from a well known company. It was the kind with interchangeable heads with three blades. I appreciated it and have been using similar razors from this company since. I got stuck into using what I had always used and buying replacement heads as needed.

More recently the cost of the replacement heads and the amount of plastic waste from them started to bother me. So, I took the plunge and bought an old style razor with metal razor blades that last a long time and require no plastic. This felt closer to my values of not spending money I didn’t have to spend and thinking in a more environmentally friendly manner.

As I got used to the new razor I cut myself a fair bit, as it takes skill to use this type of razor, but it felt worth it. Living my values is important to me. I now use the razor without cutting myself as I spent the time learning the skill of using this type of razor well. Sometimes you have to stop doing what you have always done and follow your values, even though it will take you out of your comfort zone and give you challenges to overcome. This applies to work as well as life in general. Work with your values and live by then too.

Work That Is Fulfilling

Happiness, Success, The Fullfilment Framework

When we work we often feel that the point of it is to earn money in order to buy things. This should not be the purpose of working. Our culture has thrust upon us the need to be rich or appear as if we are by what we wear and what we do. This is a way of living that goes around and around and benefits the companies that sell us the things they say we need.

Of course we need money to pay our bills and live our lives, but I believe we should do work that we believe in, where possible. If we work in a job does not fulfil us or requires us to work in ways that counter our values and beliefs this has an impact on our wellbeing.

We can the question, what are we working for? What do we want to achieve? This is not intended to encourage you to suddenly leave your job, but to encourage you to figure what kind of job you would find fulfilling. It could be a change of role with the company you currently work in or a change completely. Asking the right questions will produce helpful answers.

A Days Pay For A Days Work

Happiness, Success, The Pathway To Fulfilment

If we sell our time and receive payment for a days worth of work, ‘a days work for a days pay,’ then at the end of the day we are even, no bond has been created and there is little ongoing connection between us and our employers.

This way of working feels empty because, as human beings, we crave connection and meaning. This way of working denies us both. If we are to feel fulfilled at the end of the day, or indeed in our lives as a whole, we need to feel connected to others, to feel like we belong in a team, a department and a company when we work.

It is better to think of a day as a chance to work in a way that makes a difference and is generous. This will bring you closer to those you work with and work for, rather than being isolated. Working in a way that aligns with your values is also very important. I would strongly advise that you find a company that has values which are compatible with your own. They do not have to be the same exactly, but they do need to be compatible.

If you work to create value, then a days work will leave you feeling fulfilled at the end of the day and excited to start work tomorrow. What you get paid will certainly help with daily living costs, but it should not be the reason we do the work we do.