Find meaning in our work
- Philip Brophy
- Mar 27
- 3 min read
Solving problems • 3 min read
Renowned psychologist Kazimierz Dąbrowski discovered that many people in Poland after WWII, believed that the wartime experiences they’ve suffered ultimately made them happier and more responsible people. Dabrowski argued that stress and anxiety should not always be avoided but seen as necessary pains of psychological growth.
Introduction
Today, we’ll delve a little deeper into meaning. In particular, finding meaning in our work. We previously looked at:
- Ridding ourselves of perfectionism
- Reprioritising our values
Today, we’ll focus on:
- Learning to let go – the ‘do something’ principle
- Attaining ‘happiness’ from solving problems
Learn to let go
Our problems and conundrums are rarely unique. For example, by telling ourselves that our idea is stupid, we’re saying, “I’m different and special.” This is a dangerous mindset, the more you see your identity as being rare, the more everything else will threaten you.
This is why it’s so important to let go of the sense of entitlement, the idea that we’re uniquely talented and that we must constantly aspire to unattainable standards.
Try the ‘do something’ principle:
When you’re stuck on a problem, don’t sit there, and think how you’re so stupid and will never get it. Just start working on it. Even if you’re flailing around in the dark and have no clue what you’re doing, the simple act of getting started will set the wheels in motion with the right ideas eventually showing up in your head.
This is the process we should ideally aim for:
Inspiration -> Motivation -> Action -> Inspiration -> Motivation -> Action -> etc.
In this sense, action isn’t just the effect of motivation — It’s also the cause of it.
Happiness comes from solving problems
Problems are inevitable and never stop; they only get upgraded or exchanged. However, we get to control what our problems mean. This is based on how we choose to measure them and think about them. So, instead of hoping for a life without problems, we should hope for a life with good problems. We can do this by:
Embracing failure:
We only learn when we fail. When we improve at anything, it stems from thousands of tiny failures, while the scope of your success stems from how many times you’ve failed at something. If those around you are better at specific things, it’s likely that they’ve failed at them a lot more than you have.
Seeing problem solving as a route to happiness
To live a happy life, you need to identify and do meaningful things. Happiness comes from conquering challenging tasks that you consciously set out to tackle. So, when you approach life from the perspective that you can and should improve, you start to see challenges as opportunities.
Listening to your emotions
Negative emotions are a call to action. When you feel them, it’s a signal that you need to do something. Instead of shutting down the emotion, identify the source of it and figure out how you can solve the problem you are facing.
Key takeaways
Action isn’t just the effect of motivation, it’s also the cause of it. If you lack the motivation to make an important step in your work, DO SOMETHING.
When you climb to the top, it’s a never-ending upward spiral. New problems always emerge. If you stop embracing the climb, the results will never come.
Happiness is wanting the problems you have and wanting to solve them, you only learn when you fail. Our proudest achievements come in the face of greatest adversity.
Think big, act small
Which of these methods resonates most with you to try overcoming adversity to find real meaning in your work?
Next, we’ll find out about the importance of reassessing our idea of meaning and dropping our fixation with finding happiness.
Content sources
Forbes, 2020, Hannah Hart, Being Productive is Not Enough – How to Prioritise Your Highest Value
Mark Manson, 2016, ‘The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck’
Harvard Business Review, 2019, Susan Peppercorn, ‘Why You Should Stop Trying to be Happy at Work’
Harvard Business Review, 2019, Rebecca Knight, ‘How to Manage Your Perfectionism’
Harvard Business Review, 2017, Emily Esfahani Smith, ‘How to Find Meaning in a Job That Isn’t Your “True Calling”’
Comments