Money - the measure or the prize?
At some point, you will find yourself in a role where you feel undervalued, overworked, disconnected or suppressed from growth, and you decide you will fix it all by getting a new job. Been there? Of course you have.
With all of the best intentions, this next stage is where nearly everyone loses their way and makes a mistake. But it’s not all your fault.
Even in our modern society, we associate our value with money. And this sentiment is reinforced in other mediums, such as friends and colleagues who will ask if the new job comes with bigger $$$, job platforms that give you indicative ranges of salary for your experience and employers who will increase your package when you go to resign. Money is the answer we’ve all accepted and has become the measure for which we associate value and satisfaction. Although important, we are undervaluing the impact of meaning and purpose in what we do.
Knowing what you do has meaning & purpose energises your from your core - not your bank account. I get we need money, and the more we have the more we can do. However, in order to get the job that satisfies all of you - you need to separate value and satisfaction from money and know what you want your work to mean.
When I talk about meaning and purpose - this doesn’t mean charitable work in the non profit sector, it is unique to you. Your meaning is what gives you a fire in your belly and gets your mind ticking over. It excites you, and you are connected to it, it's almost like you become your own cheer leader for success because it means something to you to achieve it. You want it!
For me, I get meaning from knowing my clients got through something with my help. Nothing means more than a client calling to workshop a problem, or when they’re in a bind. When I clearly see my purpose, my brain fires all cylinders all day. This isn’t always the work that pays volumes, but the sense of purpose it gives me doesn’t have a price tag.
Do yourself a favour, find out what gives you meaning in your job and calculate the value of that to you - to your energy, to your mental health and to your mind. You will approach your interviews differently when you have clarity on exactly what satisfies you in your career and you’ll find the money becomes the prize, not the measure of your success.