11 Reasons To Work - Find Motivation
Why do we continue to work?
Find purpose in your career
Work is a necessary part of our lives. We as humans literally have trouble living without work. Some studies show that you live longer if you retire at a later age. After retirement people often stop doing things to stay productive. They slow down and end up dying earlier.
Humans need something to do.
It’s more than just a means to make a living - it’s a pathway to personal growth, fulfillment and social contribution.
It’s very easy (I'm guilty too) to get frustrated with work and wish we didn’t have to. That’s why I want to write this quick blog post.
This is as much for me, as it is for you.
Here are 11 reasons to work:
Productivity
Many of us crave being productive. The feeling of moving forward, making progress, and bringing those around us ahead, is excellent.
This can create a sense of purpose that continues to drive us, knowing that we are making meaningful contributions to the world.
Knowledge
Work is a constant learning progress. Whatever your job or career is, you are learning new skills, and building knowledge daily.
We build a deeper understanding of the world and ourselves as we grow professionally.
Gaining knowledge is a great reason to work.
Autonomy
Having a sense of independence is very important. Work can often provide us with this. It enables us to make choices about our lives, define our goals and determine what path we want to take.
As we become more self-reliant, we gain a sense of control over our future.
Power
Work can lead to us gaining the power to influence others and our environment. People tend to like having control of their lives. For that reason, power is a common motivation for work.
Think politicians and CEO types. We often see this in positions such as management in retail or restaurants as well.
Duty
The moral obligation to work. Some want to give back to their families, to the community, or their country. By fulfilling our duties we create a sense of purpose and responsibility.
The best example of this is someone joining the army to serve.
A sense of duty was more common years ago than is now, but we still see some who work purely as they feel it is their duty.
Excellence
How great can you become? What is your full potential?
Work encourages us to strive for excellence, pushing ourselves to surpass our limitations and reach higher than we thought possible.
As we grow our talents and make progress, we gain a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.
Becoming the most excellent version of yourself can be a great reason to work.
Money
Work provides us with financial security and the means to support our lifestyle and our family.
Financial freedom is a very common goal and a great reason to work. This motivation can push some further.
While money is the most common reason people work, it is important to know when enough is enough. Having money as your sole motivation to work will make it hard to enjoy your work.
Victory
We all have that friend that is far more competitive than others. They always have to win.
Victory, or winning, can be an incredible motivation. It pushes us to new places. Commonly, those who are at the top of their field hate losing. These people must win, and often they do.
Fun
Some people genuinely love their work. These people are usually the ones who are the creative type. These people would be doing their job whether it paid them or not.
If you are passionate or have fun doing your job, you end up working on it longer than you have to. This leads to you being exceptional.
Those who are most successful have fun with their work.
Obligation
This is very similar to duty, but there are some key differences.
An obligation is external pressure. It could be a legal reason, a social reason, or because you have no other option. An obligation might be experienced as more of a burden.
Duty on the other hand is typically associated with a sense of pride or satisfaction.
An obligation is not typically the reason you want to work.
Ecology
This is more common nowadays than ever. People are taking on jobs that help protect the planet and promote a greener future.
As the concerns about our environment grow, the number of people working for an ecological reasons also grows.
Examples of this could be those working in renewable energy, environmental scientists or sustainable agriculture.
Work is an important part of our lives and can offer many benefits. Aside from providing us with money to live, it also helps us grow personally.
By understanding why we work, we can find more purpose in our jobs and enjoy a happier life.
When looking at the above reasons, you should see how many of them relate to why you work. The more that relates to you, the more likely you will be happy in your workplace. Pick a career that fulfills as many of these reasons as possible.
If you are an employer, when you look at these reasons, you should consider how many of these relate to your employees. Having a powerful mission, environmental incentive, and a reason to work can motivate your employees quite a bit. This creates a more desirable workplace.
As the world keeps changing, our connection with work will too.
It’s important to continuously think about the reasons we work, and use them to build a better future for ourselves, our families, and our community.
I hope you found this blog post useful. Please comment with your thoughts below.
Until next time,
Be Love
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