+1: #1095 How to Meaningify Your Work

In our last +1, we talked about making a Purpose upgrade—going from a grand conception of one "big purpose" for life (Purpose 1.0) to finding micro-moments of purpose all day every day (Purpose 2.0). I promised to chat about HOW to go about doing that Today. So… Here we are. Let's bring Tom Rath back for some more wisdom from Life's Great Question. Tom is a senior scientist at Gallup and shares some FASCINATING research he and his colleagues in the wellbeing-at-work industry have conducted. Get this. Tom tells us: "You can begin by connecting your daily efforts to the way they contribute to specific people's lives—connecting what you do with who your work serves. There are now countless examples of how connecting your work to the meaning it creates for specific people leads to better results, as well as to more enjoyment in and satisfaction from one's work." He continues by saying: "In food service, for example, when a cook or someone preparing food can literally see the people they serve, it increases that customer's satisfaction with the meal by 10%. If the cook and customer can both see one another, satisfaction with meal quality goes up 17% and service is 13% faster. You see a similar result across other professions." And: "When lifeguards read stories of people's lives being saved, they are more vigilant on the job. When telephone-based fund-raisers hear from the beneficiaries of their work, they are more motivated and raise far more funds for their cause. Even when the only people you serve are internal customers or colleagues, connecting the work you do with the direct contribution it makes has tangible benefits." Plus: "In a Harvard study, field workers who harvested tomatoes watched videos of the way their contribution helped colleagues in the factory another step down the supply chain. In comparison to a control group, the workers who watched this short video experienced a 7% increase in productivity, as measured by tons of tomatoes harvested per hour." ← Pause and reflect on that for a moment longer. That's nuts! Finally, he tells us: "My takeaway from all this research is that people experience a far greater sense of belonging and more sustainable wellbeing when they connect their efforts in the moment with a larger influence on others." That's Today's +1. Spotlight on YOU. What do YOU do? Who do you SERVE when you do what you do? Take a moment and actually identify a SPECIFIC person who you KNOW benefits from the day-to-day things you do. Seriously. One person. Could be a colleague. A customer. Whoever. ONE PERSON you *know* benefits from what you do. Got it? Fantastic. Let's reflect on our contributions often. Remember: "People experience a far greater sense of belonging and more sustainable wellbeing when they connect their efforts in the moment with a larger influence on others." +1 micro-moments of service +1 micro-moments of service +1 micro-moments of service. All day every day for the Purpose 2.0 meaning-filled life. Starting TODAY.