Guide to Creating a Fulfilling Career: Putting Others Before Yourself
The Entrepreneur Fallacy
Entrepreneurs are put on a pedestal.
A commonly held belief is that entrepreneurs are somehow more capable
of making a difference. I am not sure where this idea comes from.
We all desire to make an impact on others. But many of us have come to
believe the only way to do so is to quit our full-time jobs and start our
own businesses. Success stories convince people that the only way to be
happy is to quit their jobs and go out on their own.
“Start your own business and do things on your own terms,” is a mantra
that is endlessly preached.
“Pursue your passions,” has simultaneously been shouted from the
rooftops, effectively convincing dreamers that their lives up until now
have been meaningless.
But most people have got the idea of passion all wrong. Passion
originally meant “to suffer for.”
Going by this definition alone, you may begin to think following your
passion isn’t such a great idea. But look at it instead in a different
context by asking yourself, “What are you willing to suffer for?”
Life will always have difficulty. You will always have problems. So,
instead of running away from problems,
“Choose which problems you want to have”. — Mark Manson
Having a meaningful career means focusing on something more than
just yourself.
Even careers that might seem to center around the individual often
don’t; I’m reminded of comedians like Gabriel Iglesias, who loves what
he does so much because he makes people happy by making them laugh.
Laughter is one of the greatest gifts you can give to someone.
To have a fulfilling career, you need to stop thinking solely about what
you want and start thinking instead about how you’d like to change the
world.
The American Dream
From the founding of the New World, Americans have been obsessed
with the “American Dream”. This originally translated to, “breaking
away from the family profession and making it on one’s own”. Those
“rags to riches” stories continue to be motivate us to seek out better
career paths.
Recently, though, the American Dream has begun to change. People are
less concerned with how much money they’re making, provided they
have jobs that are fulfilling.
People want jobs that are meaningful — not just a source of income, but a
basis for joyful daily existence.
Better still, they’ve concluded that their work ought to be more than just
hard labor; it should, instead, coincide with their higher calling.
That all sounds nice, but how do we actually find careers that meet these criteria? You might be wondering, “Can I have a fulfilling career and still
make a difference?”
Of course. If you are devoted to something that is meaningful to you,
that passion will direct you in ways to make a difference.
I’d like to show you an example of an American man who was able to do
just that.
Arthur Porter
I was walking through the park the other day, thinking about things and
trying to relieve some stress. While making my way along the paths, I
came across a giant stone that had the name “Arthur Porter” written at
the top.
I learned that Arthur had immigrated to the tiny town of Rexburg, Idaho
when he was only eight years old. He taught at the local college for a
number of years, started the local paper and eventually became the town
mayor.
During the great depression, city funds were tight and resources limited,
but that didn’t stop Arthur from renovating an ugly dirt plot in the
middle of town. The project took many years to finish, but the end result
was a beautiful park that its citizens (and many visiting students, like
myself) still enjoy today.
Arthur Porter is not someone you are going to read about anywhere else.
In the history of the world, he is — and will likely remain — an “unknown”.
As I read the history engraved on this stone, however, I couldn’t help but
feel a profound respect and awe for him. Here is a man, I thought, who
was willing to place a lot of ef ort into something seemingly small. A
man who was able to create meaning in his little corner of the world.
Reflecting on my own life, I began to take a closer look at myself and
consider how I could make an impact on the world. Because I
desperately wanted to make a difference, I’d been led to believe that the only way I could do this was to become a HUGE success.
Arthur’s story teaches a different lesson. To make an impact, you need
only give all your attention and energy to the things that matter most in
your corner of the world. This means starting by giving all of yourself to
- and being present with — the people who are important to you!
In order to feel like our lives are meaningful, we have to know that our
work matters — that what we do will one day impact people so
profoundly, it changes their lives.
Finding Transcendence
Abraham Maslow, a famous psychologist, created a hierarchy pyramid
that is known to us as “Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs”.
This hierarchy shows how fundamental needs need to be taken of first,
before we focus on higher needs. It also is used to illustrate the idea that
even if we have one or two needs fulfilled, those needs alone aren’t
enough to satisfy us and we need to seek after our higher goals as well.
The top of this pyramid was originally “self-actualization”, which is
essentially the mark of someone who seeks personal growth and is in
tune with his or her higher self.
Later on, the top of the pyramid became “transcendence,” another fancy
word that means this: our greatest need is to make a difference and
impact others.
Let that sink in.
My Story
For the past few years, I have found myself caught up in the
entrepreneur fallacy. I believed that by breaking away and starting my
own business, I would finally be fulfilled. After all, isn’t everyone else
miserable? I didn’t want to be like them.
Several months ago, this idea began to fade. I have accepted that my
path may be different than I suspected.
But I didn’t come to this conclusion on accident. I did it by deciding to
write down everything I wanted out of life.
Here are some of the things I wrote down:
Be a father who supports his kids abilities and helps them grow.
Obtain the financial freedom to be able to invest in unique and life-
changing experiences to learn and grow
Be a support to others who need guidance and love
Write for those who are in search of meaning and clarity in life
I realized that I don’t have to be an entrepreneur in order to make a
difference in people’s lives. In fact, I know entrepreneurs who are in it
for themselves, not to make a difference. Making an impact is the most
important thing to me.
What are you Willing to Suffer for?
Researchers at Colorado State University were looking for a way to
measure a person’s sense of meaning at work. They had workers choose
from options like, “I have found a meaningful career,” and “I have a good
sense of what makes my job meaningful.” Those who scored high in
answers like, “The work I do serves a greater purpose,” reported
receiving higher levels of meaning from their work.
When your jobs focuses on others, rather than yourself, you develop a
sense of purpose and feel needed. This fulfills a basic need we all have: to
feel important.
If you want to find a fulfilling career, you want to take these questions
into consideration:
What are you willing to suffer for?
How do you want to make a difference?
What skills do you have that you could apply to making a
difference?
Once you consider these questions, allow yourself to be open to what
comes to mind. Ask other people what they think so you can get a better
idea about your skillset. Then, come to your own conclusion. I’ll walk
you through the exact steps you need to take.
Prioritize your Passions
Begin by writing down everything that is important to you, as I did
above. It can be anything from family matters to causes you care about.
Once you’re done, narrow it down to a list of five things (if you’re like me
you may only have had five things to start with). Then, make sure you
order the items on the list based on importance.
Once you have your list, take a few moments to think about each
priority. How are you going to make a difference in that area? What is it
that the people in your life are most in need of?
Consider your Skillset
For the next step, take some time to write down your skills. Write down
everything you’re good at, no matter how small or silly it may be. I
personally found this to be the hardest part. Don’t be afraid to ask those
who know you well what they think.
Now, look at where your skills and the needs of others overlap. These
overlaps are potential areas where you can make an impact. This how
you’re going to create a meaningful career.
By evaluating my own interests and abilities, I was able to determine the
best way for me to make a difference — to conduct research on human
psychology and happiness and write about my findings. We still have a
lot to learn about human behavior, and I want to be here to help others figure out how they can improve their lives.
I realize that on my part, I’m in the unique position of being able to
provide support and encouragement to others through my love of
writing, researching, and mentoring.
Writing is a powerful tool that can be used to help spread messages and
reach others. My personal editor (a mom and small business owner)
sought me out in the first place because my writing had impacted her so
much that she was persuaded to make changes to improve the quality of
her life. I hope that as I continue to write, I can change more and more
lives.
The Bottom Line
Impactful people are those who are most willing to go above and beyond
in small ways. Arthur Porter is only one of many who have demonstrated
that.
You don’t need to have worldwide influence in order to change the
world. You can make a huge difference by helping a small community, or
even a single person. Prioritize your Passions
Begin by writing down everything that is important to you, as I did
above. It can be anything from family matters to causes you care about.
Once you’re done, narrow it down to a list of five things (if you’re like me
you may only have had five things to start with). Then, make sure you
order the items on the list based on importance.
Once you have your list, take a few moments to think about each
priority. How are you going to make a difference in that area? What is it
that the people in your life are most in need of?
Call To Action
If you are ready to be focused and get productive, I am giving away my Strategic Guide to Being More Focused. This short guide goes through a series of strategies that you can begin implementing to improve your focus and get more done. Get the guide here.
