How To Not Labor In Vain
Happy Labor Day!
…What is Labor Day?
Anyone’s quick wikipedia search can give background on what this holiday is about. I’ve heard it described by others as many things. A day dedicated to rest. A day to reflect on your working profession. A day that symbolizes the end of Summer.
All of these kind of define it, actually. However you choose to view it, one thing is for sure:
When it comes to work, none of us want to labor in vain.
Unfortunately, many of us feel as if we do.
Too many of us wander through our days without an enthusiasm for what we get to do. I’m not going to pretend there’s no such thing as a bad job because that’s just not true. Whatever your situation, I want to share a few introspective thoughts on laboring.
1. You can fake happy but you can’t fake fulfilled.
“Fake it till you make it!” Yuck.
I am not a fan of that phrase. There are undoubtedly moments where we need to stand up when we don’t feel like standing or speak up when we don’t feel like speaking up. But, to go through life faking it leads us, ultimately, to emptiness. That sounds a bit harsh but it’s true.
Believe me, if you’re not truly fulfilled, it will show. I’ve been there.
There have been plenty of moments where I’ve had to “turn it on,” to put on a show while truly not being engaged or excited about what I was doing. It’s important to be honest with yourself and others in those moments. Here are two truths to think about when you’re feeling unfulfilled.
It may not all be “them.”
Sometimes, we allow ourselves to grow bitter, jealous or selfish in certain areas of our lives. It manifests itself at work as everyone is out to get me. We have a saying in our area, “Detroit vs. Everybody.” Us against the world. And while I love and embrace that saying, it can be dangerous if we apply it, personally, daily, and with every interaction. Could it be that there’s something we need to own up to or examine? Could it be that we have some unhealthy habits or thoughts that are leading us to be discontent? There is always room for growth on our end.
It may be time to make a change.
When you’re able to get really honest about your fulfillment level and ask yourself the above questions, you may discover that it just wasn’t meant to be. I will not tell you that finding the dream job (or any job) is easy. But if you’ve already dealt with some of your insecurities and impure motives, and there’s no passion - it may be best for everyone involved to find something that sparks your interest in ways that are currently not hit. There is no shame in that. There are two important things to note when it comes to faking your fulfillment: A) It’s noticeable. B) It’s of the utmost importance to address.
2. You can and should control your level of fun.
Is it possible to have fun while doing boring tasks? YES!
This is something I am trying to work on a lot.
I understand that one of my roles as a parent and as a leader is to bring the FUN. I’m not always great at it. More often than not, I respond and adapt to the environment around me. I can be the one who brings the fun, for sure, but it’s not the default in my personality. But I’m working on it because not only is it a necessity - it’s worth it!
Become your own CFO.
Years ago, I had someone I know refer to themselves are their own CFO. When they told me, I referenced something about not loving the financial world. He explained to me that he was his very own Chief Fun Officer. My response was something along the lines of, “okay, weirdo.” He asked if I knew what he meant. Clearly, I did not. This friend let me know that he was the one responsible for his level of fun and enjoyment in life. Nowadays, there are some organizations who actually have this as a position but for most us, there isn’t someone dedicated to making sure we have a fun and engaging day. It’s up to us to set the tone, bring the enthusiasm, and the right perspective into our tasks. There are moments waiting to be reimagined and reinvented all day every day. We get to decide what we put in to this next day.
None of us want to labor in vain.
Let’s evaluate our fulfillment levels and decide to live a great story today!