I am grateful to have a 9-5 job, and I should be. My job allows me to afford the necessities to live.
But why is it difficult to find meaning and purpose in my job? Often I see my position within my organization as a cog in a machine.
I am only one working part; it falls back on the rest of my team if I don't perform my responsibilities. On a small scale, my position is a necessary part of the workflow.
The team needs me, and I want to be supportive, but simultaneously I feel I am not impacting the world.
Of course, there is always the option to quit, but in many regards, it is not so simple and easy.
My mind wanders daily to thoughts outside of work. But luckily, my endless set of reminders and tasks on Salesforce draws me back into focus.
Last week in a company meeting, we were asked to discuss in small groups these questions:
Who are you? (No answers about education or where you grew up)
Why are you here?
What difference will you make?
These questions were intimidating because they were daunting existential questions that I believe we have all asked ourselves at one point.
And perhaps you have felt the heavy burden of those questions because of a lack of purpose, meaning, and fulfillment.
At times I have approached these questions with critical thought. I have also approached the questions while feeling overwhelmed and briefly skirted over them.
These questions are intimidating because they are vulnerable. The answer to these questions perhaps has changed over time for you as they have for me.
Some people’s answers were about work and relating to their job regarding their purpose and why they were here. Others were not.
My answers were not work-related.
Who I am is more than my job and my job responsibilities.
My purpose extends beyond my daily job.
When it comes to making a difference, I am still trying to figure out how to be most impactful, but I know I want to make a difference outside of work. And for the time being, in my work, even as a cog in the machine.
The moderator of the discussion pointed out one of my answers to the questions and said my answer was worth mentioning again. I felt simultaneously flattered and anxious. I tend to get nervous about public speaking, even in small groups.
I do believe that we are here to better each other. Learning, teaching, and challenging one another are ways to better people.
I also believe there are many ways to serve and give that will better people. I am working on finding ways to be more involved in my local community to serve others that need help.
They say people do not remember someone based on their status, career, intelligence, or money. Instead, through small kind acts of service or meaningful time spent.
I share my thoughts and experience so that if you can relate, I hope you know that you still have the power to make an impact.
You can make an impact inside and outside of work.
It’s okay if you don’t know the answer to these questions. I hope you will discover who you are, why you are here, and what difference you can make.
Remember that you are more than a cog in a machine.
I agree that we are more than just our jobs and it is frankly surprising to me how often one of the first questions asked is "what do you do?" with the explicit meaning being your job and that's it. Being a "cog" in the respect of contributing to something greater than you is an amazing feeling that we need as people to feel useful and purposeful but that extends far beyond the paycheck. Love the writing. Keep the thought-provoking writings coming.