“Your purpose in life is to find your purpose and give your whole heart and soul to it.”
The statistics concerning work in America tell an interesting story. On one hand, we hate work. On the other hand, we can’t seem to get enough of it.
For the most part, Americans are dissatisfied with their jobs:
- 70% of employed Americans are disengaged from their work.
- 18% of workers are actively disengaged—meaning they aren’t just unhappy; they are busy acting out their unhappiness.
- 74% of employed workers would consider a new job opportunity if one was presented.
- The 4-Hour Workweek has spent 7 years on The New York Times bestseller list.
- Americans count down the years to retirement at age 65 and CNN defines early retirement as the ultimate “American Dream.”
Americans are not happy with their work and do not enjoy it. But we refuse to slow down and take any break from it:
- Compared with other industrialized nations, U.S. workers rank 1st in hours worked (1,800 hours annually).
- The typical American middle-income family works an average of 11 more hours a week in 2006 than it did in 1979.
- 53% of adults check work messages at least once a day over the weekend.
- Americans leave a half billion vacation days unused each year.
- We struggle to find even one day of rest each week.
These statistics paint an interesting picture of our love/hate relationship with work: We don’t like our jobs; but refuse to spend less time at them. Why is this the case?
Most likely there are a number of reasons. Sometimes, our legitimate financial needs require us to work long hours. Sometimes, our jobs require us to be on-call and available at a moment’s notice. Other times, our employers simply do not provide us that type of flexibility.
But I think there is something deeper going on here. After all, all of this is happening in one of the most productive and wealthiest nations in the history of the world. Why then, given our vast supply of opportunity, do we work such long hours in jobs we hate?
If we could discover the deeper reason for this discontent, we could find relief in both areas: both a greater appreciation for our work and more space for rest.
The real reason we have such a love/hate relationship with work in our society is because our motivation for it is all wrong. We do our work for the wrong reward.
Typically, we do our jobs simply for the purpose of earning a paycheck at the end of the day. Work is that thing we do through which we make money so we can do all the other things we really want to do.
But money as a means to fulfillment will always fall short. It will never fully satisfy the longings of our heart—in their own right, power and reputation and fame never satisfy either.
When money is the reward, we can never earn enough. We are always left desiring just a little bit more.
This is a problem with our modern understanding of work. If we are only doing it for the sake of the paycheck every two weeks, it will never be enough. We will always be left searching for more—putting in just a few more hours, skipping another day of vacation, heading back to the office on another Saturday morning.
Do we work because we love our jobs and find fulfillment in them? No. We do it because we believe the paycheck makes it all worthwhile—or at least, a little bit bigger paycheck will make it all worthwhile.
But it never does.
We were designed to work for something greater than money and possessions and property. (tweet that)
Instead, view work as contribution to others—this is the reward. Our work contributes to the good of society. It moves us forward. It makes us better as people. It enriches our lives.
Whether we are bagging groceries, delivering mail, sweeping streets, or managing others, we can view our hard work as an act of love to the people we serve.
And when we change our motivation, we discover work is not something to be avoided—it is meaningful.
Please don’t view your work as something to be endured or avoided. Don’t view it merely as a means to a paycheck. Change your focus. Develop a deeper appreciation for the contribution you are making (or find a job that will).
This will always result in a new love/love relationship.
Sally Chapman says
All fine and good if you only define work as paid labour, which is all you do. How would your article be different if you acknowledged and took into account the vast amounts of unpaid work that occurs in families? Why not write about THAT life/work challenge?
Zap says
There are so many important related issues around this topic and I think I’ve experienced most of them. For example, even when you enjoy the job itself, it can be other people’s toxic behaviour, peers or boss, that make the job unbearable. Unhappiness is catching!
Another issue is being able to know when your current job is great and NOT to accept a promotion or go elsewhere. A promotion can look attractive in terms of status and money, but can place you in a position where you’re no longer doing what you love, where the skillset is now very different from what you imagined.
Yet another issue is how people look forward to ‘retirement’, but realise when they get there, they’re too old, chronically ill or burnt out to enjoy retirement anyway. Some of us don’t realise that some activities we dream of doing when retired need to be nurtured for many years, especially when the brain and body is younger and more flexible. Eg, art, music, dance, hiking around the world, etc… It’s important to set aside time in your working life to practise the skills you need to do what you love when you have more time.
Glenn says
I love my work. It allows me to contribute something in this world. Work regardless of what it is, is noble. You cannot get what you want all the time. We work also so we can provide to ourselves and to our family. People just need to change their attitude towards work. Minimalism is not always the answer or spending less because these two are arbitrary depending on where you’re at in your life. Right attitude and right perspective will always make work or life easier.
Jenica says
I wholeheartedly agree that we shouldn’t do our work because of the money we earn and instead do something that makes the world better. BUT I will say it can be a motivator in job choice. My mother in law taught English to 7th graders for 40 years! She came across thousands of students in her lifetime and influenced hundreds for their lifetime; she is a legend in our community. She has one of the most important jobs and I will say over and over that she didn’t get paid enough! Unfortunately our society shows their value to contributing members with money and consequently, severely undervalues teachers. With that being said it can make a job more rewarding when you get compensated appropriately. I’m a nurse with an equal amount of schooling as a teacher and have a job that is just as demanding, but I get paid significantly more. Probably a little off topic, but maybe food for thought. ;)
don godson says
very well said.. in my case the pay check is always the motive… but i am changing slowly… and hope i work for joy and not for the paycheck …
Lila says
My son who is 32 has embraced this way of living from the start of his working years. He writes and enjoys his free time to write, read, and just enjoy his free time. He lives on his own, pays rent, and all his expenses, yet does not have a car, he rides a bike, eats healthy, yet simply, and works employed enough each year so as to support himself throughout the rest of the year. This is usually in a proportion of 8-4… At first, being a baby boomer, I was distraught at his choices… and worried sick about his “future”. I have learned to respect his honesty and his clarity to be true to himself. Like he has told me: “you lived to work, I work to live”. To him, his greatest asset is his time to do as he wants. And me… I am starting on this path, I am trying to cut down on everything, get rid of clutter and unclutter my mind, live with more freedom and less things and money… to gain my time and freedom. Thank you for your life story. You are inspiring.
Lea says
Very interesting article. One of the most loved jobs I ever had came about through volunteering at an animal shelter. This was never a “job” to me but a labor of love. It was meaningful work. It wasn’t sexy or glamorous. It was physical and emotional. It was outside work, rain, shine, hot or cold and I loved it. It didn’t pay much in money but gave me so much more than I’ve ever had from a job. I wanted to be there every day and I LOVED my work and the animals I served.
Craig says
All these issues with ‘work’ stem from capitalism. And this naive drivel about ‘being a good worker for others’ is dangerous and just perpetuates the ideology and practices that recreate capitalism. Those that work the most are the poorest. Their jobs are horrible. This is a collective issue, not individual. If we could change jobs and follow our passion we all would, but the reality is that stories like Joshua’s and the minimalists are anomalies in a world where most folks are over worked or desperate.
ZenPumpkin says
Apologies for writing a novel but where I wrote about fair monetary value in exchange for your time I feel I need to add “as fair as that exchange is ever going to be”.
ZenPumpkin says
I see where you’re coming from with this article and it is a positive idea. On the other hand, if someone really hates their job I don’t think it would always be wise to try to push back that feeling with “I am doing this for others.” If your inner voice is saying “I am uncomfortable here, something isn’t right,” that feeling is valid. Burying it under self sacrifice could just serve as a way of denying the problem. Some like myself are dissatisfied not because they aren’t making enough per se (but that too) but because they’re not being rewarded in a way that is of equal value to the time they put forth (Like the minimum wage I make which isn’t enough to live on without help – and I’m a minimalist). I don’t think it’s wrong to dislike work not suited to you, or to expect fair monetary value in return for the most precious thing you have — time — or selfish that helping customers (though it can be momentarily rewarding) doesn’t necessarily alleviate that feeling — you still have to take care of yourself first. Otherwise if you’re running on empty what good are you to anyone? Just a thought, no disrespect meant. I have been reading your blog for years now (mostly lurking!) and I think you’re an excellent writer. You’ve certainly influenced my life for the better.