A job or a calling? Or somewhere in between? Where do you fit in? (yes, that is a younger me with a very dear soul – more context below)
One of the great things about summertime is vacations/time away can give you opportunities to take a step back, and ponder a question like, ‘What does/did my working life mean to me?’ OK, maybe you don’t start with such a provocative question right out of the gate but it is worthy of a ponder, and I want to ask that question of you.
There are four labels you can put your work under:
First is ‘The Job’. ’The Job’ is characterized by low personal value alignment (you don’t really care much about what your work accomplishes) and it has low monetary compensation.
Second is ‘The Career’. ‘The Career’ is characterized by low personal value alignment as does ‘The Job’, but the monetary compensation brings you and your family a lifestyle you enjoy. It is a good pay cheque and tough to walk away from. Sound like you?
Third is ‘The Mission’. ‘The Mission’ is characterized by a strong alignment of personal values – you strongly believe in what you are doing which leads to high personal fulfillment, but the monetary compensation, it is just enough to scrape by, most of the time. I have a friend who operates a dog rescue operation which he deeply cares about but the finances are always a struggle.
Finally, there is ‘The Calling’. ‘The Calling’ is characterized by a strong alignment of personal values like ‘The Mission’, but the monetary compensation is significantly higher and brings you and your family a lifestyle you enjoy. Another friend specializes in reconstructive surgery and truly loves helping individuals regain a good quality of life – and she is paid very well for doing this.
If you are like most, you may have found yourself oscillating between categories over the decades. I have had a couple of ‘careers’, such as working for a large financial company and an IT firm – good money but I was there for the pay cheque. I certainly was on a ‘mission’ when I started my wildlife sanctuary in the 1990’s. My mortgage was $1371 and gross monthly revenue was $2000 – yikes! But it aligned with my values and I stuck with it until I made it work.
Your answer to my question is a great retrospective opening, but I have asked it of you because it leads to a more impactful question. What do you want the next 5, 10 – 30 years to hold for you as you plan for and live your work optional life?
Most of us feel an increased urgency to do something that matters during this time – something that aligns with our values because of the ever-shortening time runway to make a difference. Money concerns may or may not be in your top reasons for choosing what you do going forward but doing fulfilling work should be on the rise in priority.
With this in mind, and after seeing hundreds of individuals pursue the path of least resistance and stumble damagingly, I would encourage you to not accept ‘work’ to just be busy and fill the days. Take time to identify your natural gifts and aptitudes and see where they may lead you. If this seems daunting to you, ask those who know you best and who you can trust to be honest, what they see as your natural gifts? Quite often we have blind spots when it comes to seeing what we truly enjoy and are good at.
Seeking meaning over acquisition of things is a common trend as we age. Here’s to finding your callings!
