We are nearly always making choices about what to do, what not to do, and how to spend our time. I realize that in very difficult financial times, this might not always be the case. Even, and perhaps especially in difficult times, clarifying and expanding our view of what is most important, what really matters, is even more crucial.
I find that I’m regularly applying three questions to my work:
– Does my work have impact?
– Is my work financially sustainable?
– Is my work fulfilling?
Question #1: Does my work have impact? What I mean by this is does my work have positive impact. Since I do coaching, seminars, and leadership development, for me this means that I’m helping people by clarifying communication, building competency, increasing confidence – that my client’s businesses or organizations can be more effective. Are individuals and teams more able to be fulfilled and effective? This also means that I work for organizations that have a positive mission.
As a Zen teacher, impact for me means to help people be less stuck, less caught by ideas and habits, and open to widening and deepening understanding; allowing people to trust themselves and act with more freedom.
Of course, impact can have an enormous host of meanings, depending on what kind of work you do.
Question #2: Is my work financially sustainable? For me, this means, am I meeting my financial goals, which means that I can pay my business and personal bills, and save money needed to pay future expenses. Again, this number can differ wildly depending on where you live and what you believe you need. I find it useful to begin with actual needs – what do I need to get by. What do I actually need financially? This itself is a great question.
In this context, in the choices we make in our work, financial sustainability is an important factor. Our work can have great impact and can be fulfilling. But, if it is not financially sustainable, our impact and fulfillment will also not be sustainable.
Thus, it might be argued that this should be question #1 and is the most important of the three questions. My answer is that it is the most necessary, but not the most important. If we begin with the financial question, we can lose sight of the importance of working primarily for impact and for fulfillment. And, we need to be careful to not lose sight of the financial necessity of our work.
Question #3: Is my work fulfilling? Do I enjoy what I do? Is the activity of my work enjoyable? Am I passionate about my work? I find this to be a great and complicated question to ask about what I do.
There is no objective answer here, for me, or for anyone. What I enjoy doing today, I might not enjoy tomorrow. I loved running my company, Brush Dance, and was surprised after about 12 years, to find that suddenly my enjoyment was waning. In my current work, I find that when my schedule is very full, I want it to be less full. When my schedule is not very full, I want it to be more full! We humans are complex, when it comes to fulfillment, to satisfaction. And, I believe this a an important question to ask about our work, to take the pulse, and to trust our hearts.