We can safely say, as Americans, we are healthier, living longer and richer than any previous generation in the course of human history. While we surely face many difficulties today, we are not plagued be many difficulties of the past, including widespread disease, high infant mortality rates and a life that mainly consists of hard labor.
Then why do so many of us feel alienated and apathetic in our lives? I don’t say this to be overly pessimistic. This feeling of alienation is evidenced in the massive growth of the personal development industry over the past 20 years.
Just look at all the blogs out their based on ‘lifestyle development.’ Heck, even this blog, through my writings on mindfulness and mindful living, is directly related to personal development.
In particular, I have an interest with work and being happy with the work we do. From reading lifestyle design blogs for the past three to four years as well as personal conversations I’ve had with many people, I have come to a very real conclusion: Most people are unhappy with the work they’re doing.
In searching for the why behind this, I have started reading a lot on the subject of human psychology and motivation. In other words, trying to understand why we do the things we do.
What I’m beginning to discover is the most of us are externally motivated rather than internally motivated. Most of what we do in our lives is based on the perceptions we have of what other people think we should be doing or how others will perceive us.
As humans, we have an innate and primordial need to be accepted by others. It’s a survival mechanism and it drives many of the decisions we make in our lives. The desire for money, power and fame, just to name a few.
What about work though? Why are so many of us dissatisfied with our jobs?
I think much of this is driven by how we’re brought up and the education system we go through. From an early age, we learn to be externally motivated rather than internally motivated. At school, we’re rewarded and motivated by grades. The natural curiosity and joy of learning to learn that we’re born with is slowly replaced by a motivation to get the best grade despite our interest in the subject matter.
By the time you get your first job out of college you don’t even feel like you’re living your own life. There’s this feeling that you’re not in control of your life, or that something is missing or off. There’s a general sense that you’ve lost touch with what it is you’re truly interested in or drawn to.
This is why so many people when asked, “What is it you would really like to do with your life,” answer “I don’t know.”
Where can you begin to find the answer?
Begin to examine how you’re motivated.
Do you do an activity as a means to an end or do you do the activity for the sake of doing the activity itself?
Examples: I love to run. Yes, there is some motivation behind that related to health, however, the reason I like running is in the activity itself. Being outside. Feeling the wind on my face. Exploring the streets of my city. There’s pleasure in the activity itself.
Another example is an artist, such as a sculptor or painter. The motivation and the goal isn’t the finished sculpture or painting. The motivation comes in doing the activity itself. The enjoyment of starting with a blank canvas or lump of clay and the creative process of seeing what comes out of that.
In your work and job, begin to look for areas where there are hints of internal motivation.
Are there certain activities in your job that you enjoy rather than others? Can you start to incorporate some of your interests or talents into your work?
Finally, I want to point out that I firmly believe that corporations are not bad and working in the corporate world is not a bad thing. Or, that having a job where you’re not your own boss doesn’t mean you can’t have the freedom you desire.
This by no means doesn’t mean that I don’t think there needs to be drastic changes in the way our workplaces work. The corporate world needs to become more flexible. Employees need to be given more power, which is why I’m a supporter of concepts such as ‘results orientated work environments.’
The corporate world needs to shift from a pure profit mindset to one that incorporates the needs of the employee, customer, community and environment into a more holistic and conscious business model.
How about yourself? Do you notice areas in your life where you’re more externally motivated than internally motivated? Do you struggle with the question of “what is it that I really want to do?” What are your thoughts on the corporate world?
Share your thoughts in the comments. I’d love to hear from you.
I’m Nate, a writer, mindfulness practitioner and student of the inner workings of the mind.
I agree with what you said about the corporate world and how much of it’s driven by the bottom-line, especially in this current economic environment. Most management styles that I see are about meeting deadlines and just getting the work done. The problem with that is, it squelches creativity and innovation. Very few managers know how to truly lead a team of people. It’s about solving problems and doing damage control.
Thanks for your comment Linda. I agree with this…a lot is driven by the bottom line and I think we need to work to change that.