I’ve always been intrigued what people do for work and more importantly ‘why do they do what they do?’ Do they live to work or work to live? I think this question may be the defining question for many of us? Why? Just a few years ago, a lot of us were ‘living to work’. Now, more of us are ‘working to live’ as a result of the economy.
If you’re working to live like many more of us it’s critical that you find additional reasons to value your work. Some things you may want to think about are:
- Work becomes a person’s identity. How do you answer the question: ‘What do you do?’ Work for some becomes their main identity and organizing event in life. We work for Intel or Microsoft. We are part of the best and brightest.
- Work imposes self-discipline. Work structures our life. We have somewhere to go and to do – adding value to our employer in exchange for a salary.
- Work forms family cohesion. Work establishes and communicates values to our family. Through work, we may develop a greater meaning to life, relationships, and family.
- Work is a higher calling. Work for some is a higher calling and a service to others. We may view work as an expression of who we are. Work provides a way for making a difference. Work may point us to a higher mission such as providing for the needy, disabled, or disenfranchised.
- Work as contributing to society, having a purpose, making life better, doing meaningful work, benefiting others, and doing social good are the drivers of progress. They are as great of motivators as status and money. Societal values and institutions that establish, communicate, and reinforce those values determine how society functions.
Life Lesson Earned: So, do you live to work? Or, do you work to live? How does the current economy change how you see work? Understand deeply what drives you to do what you do?