purpose | Journey

According to the 2013 Work Stress Survey, 83% of Americans reported being stressed about at least one thing at work, with the number one factor being low pay. With workplace stress on the rise, have you asked yourself – “am I working for the pay or the purpose?”

Working for Pay
Payscale, a research provider on salary and career topics, dove into how meaningful people found their work versus what they get paid. The highest paying and most meaningful rated job is a dermatologist. But what about those jobs that have high pay with low meaning? Business Insider released a summary of the Payscale report focusing on jobs that pay well, but aren’t changing the world. That list included job titles for senior and corporate counsel, fashion designer, credit/collections director, and network architect. This list proves that high pay doesn’t always lead to high job satisfaction.

If pay is the most common factor in workplace stress, can workplace stress be alleviated just with higher pay? The highest earners in the Work Stress Survey cited their number one work stress was unreasonable workload. But if your work was doing something you truly love and find purpose in, more work might really just be more fun, right? It’s something to think about.

Working for Purpose
What about jobs with low pay but high satisfaction? Topping that list are sign language interpreter, worship coordinator, two jobs in the water treatment field – plant operator and plant laboratory technician, and soldier. This article also clarifies that high meaning doesn’t necessarily correlate with job satisfaction. Meaningful and fulfilling work can be hard, but is there a payout in knowing your work is creating a better world?

Another reason people may turn to careers of purpose is to have work that creates something. Generations ago, work resulted in a product, whether it was manufacturing or farming, you could actually see and touch your end product. A recent article in Parade stated that Etsy’s (an online craft marketplace) one million sellers will have sales of more than $1 billion this year. Individuals have turned to crafting as a relaxing hobby and have also found a way to make money off it.

The Balance
Finding the perfect balance of pay and purpose might be the definition of a dream job. Simply, what is your goal in finding employment? Your career goal may center on purpose if you are at a point in your life where financial responsibilities are lower. On the other side, if financial responsibilities are your driving motivation, it’s probably more important how much your paycheck is – not necessarily what you did to earn it.

For some individuals, a career of purpose is being noted as a career built for the second act of their business life. The Halftime organization “helps individuals find their passion to help lead a more significant second half,” as explored last month in a story on CBS DFW.

What about you? Are you trying to find your passion early in your career or are you working for a paycheck now with hope that at some point you can chart a new course? Share your thoughts in our comments section below.

Driven and criticism The Greek philosopher Aristotle is famously known for saying, “Criticism is something we can avoid easily by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing.” No matter where you want to go in your career, there will be others who will, rationally or irrationally, try to talk you out of it. Criticism is inevitable if you want to be successful.

Think of some of the greatest figures in history: Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., Confucius, and Christopher Columbus. They all influenced and shaped the world today, but they also received, and sometimes still do, some of the most harsh and intense criticism. Don’t let outside forces get in your way. Here are ways to cope with and accept the fact that criticism will happen when you strive for success.

Tune Out
Unless there is something you can take away from constructive criticism, you’ll have to tune out the clutter of negativity coming at you. It’s important to stay focused on your goals and objectives, so you’ll have to learn the value in tuning out everyone around you some of the time.

Review
Depending on how strict or involved you want to be with your schedule, take some time every week or at the end of your workday to review your progress and see where you are with achieving your goals and objectives. You’re far more likely to accomplish things if they are in print and in front of you. Continually checking your progress will keep you on track and help build your drive and motivation.

Laugh
There are several benefits to embracing a positive attitude, even if you don’t feel like it. There will be very real hurdles and challenges to overcome throughout your career and a positive attitude won’t protect you from them, but it will keep you afloat and motivated when they happen.

Trust
You don’t have to climb the corporate ladder alone. While there may be others who will try to tear you down, there are just as many, if not more, who want to lift you up. That’s why it’s important to have a group of friends and mentors who can give you fair and constructive feedback on your endeavors.

Admit
Nobody is perfect and everybody will make mistakes throughout their career. That is why it’s important to accept responsibility for your mistakes and weaknesses and develop strategies to improve them. It’s not so much the fact you fell, but rather about how you get back up.

Realize
To stay on track to realize success, you need to have an idea of what you want to achieve. It’s important to be very clear and concise about why success is so important. When you have an end point to focus on, it’ll be harder for others to lead you astray.

If you feel like the weight of others is too much, remember that it’s normal and to shrug it off. Many times, the criticism is unnecessary. It’s like what the late motivational speaker Zig Ziglar said, “Some people find fault like there is a reward for it.”

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