Americans have come to expect work to be a source of meaning in their lives, a job is now a career or a calling. Young people prioritize achieving one’s career passion higher than making money or getting married and consider finding a fulfilling job almost three times more important than having a family.
“It is daunting to contemplate. Most people are certainly guaranteed to fail in this pursuit. Even people who love their jobs will report they must do thankless tasks from time to time. Few, if any, experience nonstop bliss, where sheer passion sustains them through long hours on the job.”
“Many young people report having lost the ability to enjoy free time; they have fewer hobbies. Americans overall today engage in fewer extracurricular social activities than they did in previous generations. More time spent on the job or at the office means less time with family — and with children who crave our attention. There are also links between long work hours and increased consumption, and a larger carbon footprint.”
Consider rejecting the notion that work should consume our lives, define and give meaning to them, and see it instead as an opportunity to fulfill something larger, namely our duty, which can eventually lead to fulfillment. Duty is rooted in self understanding. Frankly assess what you can do, how you are best equipped to serve, and work. Hearing from early childhood that you can be anything you want can be oppressive. Identify the several jobs or roles you are called to do — inside and outside the home — and do them well.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/02/opinion/should-work-be-passion-or-duty.html
Career Counseling with Elaine Korngold
In my private practice, I work with Career Counseling clients on issues such as:
- Choosing a career path
- Changing careers
- Deciding whether to leave a company
- Managing office politics
- Dealing with layoffs and finding a new job
- Creating work and life balance
- Interacting with difficult colleagues
- Dealing with stress and emotions at work
Please reach out for a free 20-minute phone consultation to learn more.