One Easy Habit – What kind of one easy habit and what must it be like to help you be happy with the work you do? Find the answer in this article.
One of the stories that you may have heard when you were a child, or this may be the first time you have read it for some people. This story may give you something back, along with a new perspective that may make you want to change jobs, or work harder at your current job, or see your current job in a new light that you may have never thought of before.
This story is about a traveler and three bricks. The story begins when a traveler goes on a long journey and meets three bricklayers. The three bricklayers are working very hard, laying bricks one by one. The traveler approaches them and asks them what they are doing. The first man replies, “I am laying bricks.” The second man replies, “I am building a church.” The last man replies, “I am building a cathedral!”
Although each bricklayer has the same job, their motivations and experiences are very different. What is interesting about this story is that you can clearly see the integration of what they are doing with the sense of participation of the bricklayer. The realization that each brick being laid is part of a greater whole gives the bricklayer a greater sense of happiness and fulfillment than someone who sees it as just brickwork.
“The reason why is behind this story.”
You can clearly see that the last bricklayer was very passionate about his work, because for him, he didn’t just pick up a brick and put it down. He had a picture of a cathedral in his head, and each brick was a little bit of building up his cathedral. We too can find meaning in our work by having the “why” behind this passion for work. What we are doing becomes clear to us when we believe that what we are doing is important.
“Employees are more satisfied with their jobs when they feel valued.”
A recent survey of more than 2,000 American professionals in 26 industries found that employees are more satisfied at work when they feel that their work is meaningful, worthwhile, and valued. The same survey also found that pay raises and promotions are more common among employees who find meaning in their work. They also tend to work harder and be more productive.
“Meaningful habits”
Finding purpose in our work every day is the best thing we can do for our career. But knowing what it means and putting it into practice are two different things. To put it simply, even if you know the benefits of exercising regularly, that doesn’t mean you have to wake up and exercise every morning. Therefore, creating a habit like this can be called a “meaningful habit.” An easy way to help you put it into practice is before starting any new job, take a moment to yourself and ask yourself, “Why did I choose this job? What does this job mean to me?”
“Create meaning in your work, create motivation to do it.”
Brendon Burchard, author of High Performance Habits: How Extraordinary People Become That Way, shares a similar practice called “Release Tension and Set Intention,” which involves embracing the changes we encounter throughout our day. From eating breakfast to logging a meeting call or sending an email, it’s an opportunity to release any tension you may have or unintentionally held in. Creating meaningful habits can take a while to build into the day, but the more meaning we add to our habits or actions, the more motivated we’ll be to complete them.
“You don’t have to change the world, just give yourself a positive feeling.”
The meaning in each habit can be important in expanding what you’re doing or developing yourself toward your goals. But remember that when looking for meaning in your actions or habits, it’s not necessarily whether the action changes the world, creates peace, or creates widespread change. The meaning you gain is simply the positive energy you receive when you do it—maybe it’s a little smile or the sense of satisfaction when a task is done.
Sometimes the work you have to face can be very boring. The truth is that some of the work you are assigned has no meaning in mind at all. It is just done because your boss ordered it to or your boss will definitely be happy that you have completed this boring work. Try to think that you have to do it to keep your job, to earn money for your family, to get a better position in the future or so that your boss will like you a little more than others.
There is also a search for meaning in the work we do in other ways. For example, why do I need to do a good job of this presentation? The answer is to help me gain more support on the project I’m working on. Or why do I need to constantly check my incoming emails? The answer is to reduce work stress and feel more relaxed before I go home. Or why do I need to keep this journal? The answer is to track whether the team’s work is on the right track when I look back on it.
Conclusion
Even though our work sometimes doesn’t produce the tangible results of a bricklayer’s cathedral, there is still a lot of meaning we can find by asking ourselves the question “Why?”
Sometimes the outcome you get is a stepping stone to something bigger. It can be an opportunity in the form of a role model for others. Or it can be a creative outlet that others have been waiting for. There are reasons for you to fill the void of creating actions or habits that are meaningful to you. There are no bad reasons as long as they make you feel positive and are meaningful to you.
“Ultimately, all our actions create meaning. It depends on the angle you choose to look at it, whether you see its meaning or not.”
Reference:
This One Easy Habit Will Make You Better (and Happier) at Work
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