Sometimes, my work feels meaningless. There, I said it. It’s not a fun thing to admit, but I know I’m not the only one out there who feels this way.
If you’re in the same boat, you may be asking yourself what you can do about it.
My advice? Don’t just quit your job. Try one of these 10 things instead.
How to Find Meaning When Your Job Feels Meaningless
Below are 10 ways to find meaning when your work feels meaningless.
1. Reconnect with Your Why
It may not feel like it now, but there was a time when you were so excited about your job.
Think back to when you found your job listing on Indeed or LinkedIn. Of all the positions out there, you chose to apply to that specific one. You spent time refining your resume, writing a cover letter, and applying. You sent off your application and crossed your fingers that you’d hear back.
Do you remember how excited you were when you finally did?!
If your work feels meaningless, revisit the reasons you initially chose to apply for your job. Think back to the joy you felt when you got that phone call letting you know that you’d been hired. Reconnecting with this “why” and the giddy joy you felt can reignite a sense of purpose and excitement about your job.
2. Focus on the Bigger Picture
I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Do you know why you were so excited about your job in the beginning even though you knew very little about it? It’s because you weren’t worrying about the small, day-to-day tasks of your new role; you were focusing on the big picture.
In the beginning, you had no idea what you would be doing, but still, you were excited about it. Perhaps you were thrilled about the company’s mission. Maybe you were motivated by the higher pay. Or, you knew taking this position would be a great stepping stone for your career.
In my case, I work at a community college. When I accepted my position, I remember being so excited about working at an organization that changes lives, an organization that makes higher education accessible for people who otherwise wouldn’t be able to pursue it. At the time, I really didn’t care about what my job would actually be like; I just wanted to help people achieve their dreams.
Fast forward six months, and I rarely think about this anymore. I’m too wrapped up in the day-to-day grind. I either forget about this initial motivation, or it gets lost in the feeling that I’m not making a huge impact.
When I start to feel like this, I remind myself that every business, even a community college, is in the business of making money. If I wasn’t making an impact, no one would keep me around. So even though my day-to-day tasks may seem small, they must contribute to the college’s larger goal in some instrumental way.
If your work feels meaningless, reconnect with the bigger picture and stop telling yourself that you aren’t making an impact.
3. Focus on Learning
If you decide that your job is meaningless, that’s what it will continue to be. However, if you decide today that you love your job and it has value, you’ll start finding all sorts of opportunities for growth and learning.
A few months ago, I had a serious love-hate relationship with my job. Some days I was so grateful for it, and on other days, I would find myself mindlessly scrolling on Indeed for any way out. What finally got me off of this see-saw was reminding myself that I would love my job if I gave myself reasons to love it. And how did I do it? I started looking for professional development opportunities that would make my work more stimulating and interesting.
Part of my role involves taking photos at college events, but I’ve never had any formal photography training. So, I would simply show up at the event and do my best. This is, until I recognized that there was an opportunity for growth there.
I decided to take some photography classes, and now taking photos is one of my favorite aspects of my job. What used to be something I did carelessly, I now love because I have the skillset. Photography wasn’t interesting to me because I didn’t know anything about it, but now that I do, I love it.
I invite you to challenge yourself to find one aspect of your job that you don’t find interesting and make it interesting by learning more about it.
4. Stop Scrolling
I’ll admit, I’m way too good at distracting myself with my phone at work.
What starts as a seemingly innocent response to a text can quickly escalate into a half-hour session of mindlessly scrolling through social media.
This not only leaves me feeling disconnected from my tasks but also tanks my productivity. The more I succumb to this habit, the more work accumulates, leaving me feeling overwhelmed. It’s so bad that I sometimes confuse the overwhelmed feeling with thinking I hate my job.
So, if your work feels meaningless, it might just be a side effect of your scrolling habit. If you also find yourself caught in the loop of mindless scrolling, here are 10 productive and engaging things you can do during your workday downtime.
5. Wake Up Early
Many of us unwittingly fall into the same old pattern: wake up, go to work, go home, go to sleep, rinse and repeat.
Our work weeks revolve around our jobs, and we simply don’t have time for any of the things that make us happy. As a result, we put a lot of pressure on our jobs to provide enough joy and satisfaction to sustain us for five days.
Unfortunately, many of us will never get that type of satisfaction from our jobs. So what can we do? We can make more time in our workdays for things that bring us joy. We can do this by waking up early.
I wake up at 5 a.m. every day. This means that I have enough time to work on my website, exercise, and bike to work every morning. Before I even get to work, I’ve done three things that bring me a tremendous amount of joy. It makes me feel like I own my day, even though I spend so much of it at my job.
So, if your work feels meaningless, the solution may be to redirect your focus from finding meaning in your job to finding meaning in your day.
6. Build Meaningful Connections
They say that our relationships are what give our lives meaning. So, why do we think our jobs are any different?
If your work feels meaningless, seek mentorship, build meaningful connections, and work towards strengthening your relationships with coworkers.
I know, I know, it’s easier said than done. As an introvert, it’s so natural for me to close my office door and spend the entire day talking to no one. But by doing so, I’m missing out on connecting with people who are in a very similar position to myself.
Especially if you’re struggling to find meaning at work, opening up to your coworkers can really help you get through it. They most likely have a similar position to yours and deal with similar work stressors. Your coworkers might be the people most able to give you advice and help you through a rough patch.
If you’d like to strengthen your work relationships, there are several things you can do. If you’re someone who closes your office door or wears headphones at work, knock that off! Or, ask one of your coworkers to have lunch with you. Perhaps schedule an office potluck or a team-building outing. Even just showing your coworkers that you’re interested in getting to know them is a great start!
7. Explore Side Projects
I started my blog during a time when I was really struggling to find meaning in my work. I was a project manager at a tech startup and had existential crises on a semi-regular basis about what the heck I was doing with my life. Working on my website felt so meaningful that, even though my job didn’t, I still felt pretty fulfilled.
If writing isn’t your thing, starting a website isn’t the only outlet. You could work towards expanding your skillsets, learning a new language, freelancing, getting a certificate—the list goes on and on.
Having a side hustle or project is a great way to empower yourself if your work feels meaningless.
8. Schedule Check-Ins
Having regular check-ins with my manager has been a game-changer when it comes to finding meaning in my job. Every few months, we sit down to chat about what’s been working, what hasn’t been working, and set future goals. I always come out of these meetings feeling re-inspired and enthusiastic about the work I’m doing.
If you’re struggling to find meaning in your work, ask your supervisor if they’d be willing to schedule regular check-ins with you. I guarantee they’ll be more than happy to!
9. Practice Mindfulness
Do you regularly eat your lunch at your desk, probably with one hand on the keyboard? Or mentally draft weekend plans during work hours? If so, it could be the reason why your work feels meaningless.
By practicing mindfulness, you start to bring intention and awareness to what you’re doing. And guess what? It can seriously change your relationship with your job. By grounding yourself in the present, you may start to enjoy aspects of your job that you never noticed before, like how nice it is that you get a 30-minute lunch in the middle of the day to stare out your window.
10. Reevaluate Your Career Path
And last but not least, if all else fails, it might be worth reevaluating your career path.
Last year, I quit my 9 to 5 job to work a variety of odd jobs, from waitressing to cheesemaking. Stepping away from my career really put some things in perspective. I learned that the reason I felt like my job was meaningless wasn’t because of the actual work I was doing—it was because of the company culture and lack of freedom. After about six months of working these odd jobs, I was ready to get back into my career. I knew exactly what needed fixing in my professional life, and it wasn’t a new job.
You may also want to reconsider the company you work for. I have experience in marketing for corporations and, more recently, in higher education. While the day-to-day work is similar, working in higher education has felt much more meaningful for me.
So, if your work feels meaningless, remember that you can shake things up for a while. You’re not the only one quitting your job to try something different. In fact, according to a 2020 study from the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the typical employee stays at a job for just over four years.
I’d love to hear about your experiences! In the comments below, let me know if you’ve ever worked a job that’s felt meaningless and what you did about it.
As always, thanks for reading!
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