What does feeling fulfilled in your job mean to you?
Kristen Walker wrote a guest post on Levo League recently that discusses this very question. A life coach, Kristen tackles the idea of fulfillment often. In discussion with her clients, she’s found there are many definitions - being a part of a team, becoming financially independent, using their strengths, doing work they enjoy - but the overarching connector to all these ideas is that fulfillment comes from “helping others in a meaningful way.”
In her article, Kristen goes on to break down this idea further:
“Helping others” doesn’t have to only mean working at a non-profit or giving all your money to charity. Helping others simply means feeling like your work is positively impacting others by “solving a problem, spreading positivity, or improving lives, in one way or another.” Examples Kristen offers include: selling their handmade jewelry or helping clients develop an authentic brand.
“Meaningful way” is where Kristen suggests you can really personalize your definition of fulfillment. You might be working at a company with a great mission, but it might not be something you are passionate about (LITG founder Maneesh experienced this at the beginning of his career). The important point Kristen makes here is that “even if you logically know that you’re making a difference for someone, if it doesn’t feel meaningful to you, then you ultimately won’t get that sense of fulfillment.”
Kristen offers the following questions to help you determine if you’re meeting both parts of the fulfillment equation:
- How is your work impacting others?
- How invested do you feel in your company or team’s big-picture mission?
- How often do you get to see or experience the results of your work?
- How much interaction do you have with your teammates, clients, customers, or end users
- Where in your life do you feel most energized, valuable, or satisfied?
What does job fulfillment mean to you? Please share your definition with us below!