“I no longer feel the need to treat myself with every pay-cheque…I feel fulfilled on a daily basis…I don’t need or want that new coffee machine.”
A moment of reflection
The conclusion to a recent (albeit slightly inebriated) conversation with one of my closest mates. I have spent a long time chasing self-satisfying success. In that, I was totally and wholly unfulfilled with my working day but constantly chasing the right to “treat” myself with every paycheque…I was living a self-satisfying lifestyle and it was slowly killing my personality.
“The most exciting breakthroughs of the twenty-first century will not occur because of technology, but because of an expanding concept of what it means to be human.”
Changing of the light
As you may (or may not) know; I recently changed jobs. Not only did I change jobs, I completely switched careers; I took a real risk for the first time in years, stepped out of a comfort zone and committed to my future. I couldn’t be more happy with my choice. It was during this conversation with Broads’ that we discussed our choices in life and our future visions. I came to realise that I no-longer chase paycheques, I no longer spend on things I don’t really need, I am happy going to the office on Monday morning and that makes all the difference to my outlook on not only work, but life in general. My view on what makes me happy, both in and out of work, has radically evolved over the past 6 months, my depiction of what work should provide emotionally has developed and I finally believe it is possible to love what you do…which is extremely satisfying when the statistics say you’ll spend nearly 30% of your life working, 30% of your life sleeping and then you have 40% leftover to fill with all the other things you want to do in life. When you love what you do…your life has the ability to be 30% more fulfilled.
“Happiness at work” is not a constant feeling. It’s a persons response to the actions and situations placed on them within the employed environment. The difference between being “satisfied” and “fulfilled” can be categorised quite simply:
Satisfaction
• Occurs at the end
• Dependent on others
• Using ratio
• Routine / predictable
• Relatively the same
• What we think about our work
• Tend to accept (transactional)
Fulfillment
• Happens anytime (anytime)
• Depend on ourselves/ our response
• Using heart
• Not routine / surprises
• Different
• How we feel about our work
• Tend to give (sincerity)
Now, one of the most important differences between the two is that fulfillment is a far deeper concept than happiness. That’s because fulfillment deals with the “why” of life. It is related to a deep sense of purpose, cause, or belief. When you achieve something meaningful that is aligned with your purpose in life, that achievement will stay with you for a really long time. The sense of completeness, once experienced, does not easily wither away.
“Whatever your life’s work is, do it well. A man should do his job so well that the living, the dead, and the unborn could do it no better.”
This article by Jessica Amortegui on finding meaning at work is a wonderful read…it takes about 5 minutes out of your day and is wonderfully written.
“This divergence holds vast insight into where we invest and focus our energy, especially in the workplace. Increasing a sense of meaningfulness at work is one of the most potent–and underutilized–ways to increase productivity, engagement, and performance.”
Seeing clearly again
This idea of investing in ourselves and in return receiving a gratification that wasn’t asked for, and on the back of that receiving a sense of purpose which will increase fulfillment, can be difficult to comprehend, and even harder to enact. So I changed career paths, I went self-employed, freelance and in an industy that was completely alien to me. I have found a new sense of purpose and that has completely changed my outlook on life in general. I have found myself reading more, being more motivated at both home and the office, I’m back training at the gym and eating so much better. The hours I put in at work don’t feel like the hours I used to work, I find myself wanting to check my emails after hours, thinking about projects over dinner, considering next business development moves whilst at the gym. It’s as though my mind has awoken from a slumber and now it’s making up for lost time.
“The true test of a man’s character is what he does when no one is watching.”
The Japanese are masters of conquering the “too good to be true” concept; they seem to be able to recognise the importance of fulfilment and it’s effect on our lives. If you haven’t looked into Ikigai I would highly recommend it. There are so many great books and articles on it you just need to google search and dedicate some time to the answers.
Ikigai
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Ikigai 〰️
Ikigai is something I have read about quite a lot over the years, it’s really something we should all strive to achieve in our lifetimes…wether it’s even fully achieveable is a question I’ll leave for the philosphers amongst us. Although, I’m always up for a philosophical discussion! Ikigai (ee-key-guy) is a Japanese concept that combines the terms iki, meaning “alive” or “life,” and gai, meaning “benefit” or “worth.” When combined, these terms mean that which gives your life worth, meaning, or purpose. Ikigai is similar to the French term “raison d’etre” or “reason for being.”
I encourage you to go out and find your ikigai. Find what you love, find what you’re good at and find what the world needs; in doing these three things you’ll find purpose, passion and fulfilment…and that is your payment.
Till next time. Ol x