The WFH Revolution Led Thousands of People to Meaningful Careers – Why Is That?
One of the most profound changes to emerge from the pandemic was the dawn of remote working. Millions of people across the UK started working from home for the first time. Many started to make changes as their home space became intertwined with their work lives. As these new adjustments started to happen, little did we know that it would trigger the start of discovering new career paths for many.
Multiple clients made the brave decision to put a new spring in their career step. The top reason for seeking help was because they were looking for a deeper meaning in their work life. In 2021, three-fifths of UK workers (60%) intended to make changes to their careers because of the Covid outbreak - which was an increase of 7% on the previous year. Clients are still feeling the ripple effects in 2022 with circa one in five people (40% of the UK’s population) who are planning to look for a new job. 2022 is the time for change!
So how do you change?
It starts with asking yourself ‘Am I working meaningfully?’
Working meaningfully means working in a job or finding a career that’s meaningful to you, that fills you up and lights a fire in your belly. It’s about having a career you don’t have to escape from and a personal and professional life that feels true to who you are and what you value.
While this might all sound a bit difficult, after a bit of self-reflection, it’s not quite as daunting as it may initially seem. You can have a meaningful career and you can feel fulfilled in your work. Here are 3 tips to help you find meaning in your career in 2022:
1. Identify what’s meaningful to you
When it comes to our careers, it’s very easy to find ourselves striving towards someone else’s definition of success, but this will never make us happy. Some people’s idea of success might be a smart car, a senior title and an expensive suit and house. But is that yours?
It can be easy to compare ourselves to others. But it’s pointless. You will never feel fulfilled by going after what’s meaningful to someone else. You have to find meaning for yourself.
You can do this in a few different ways. I would recommend collating a list of your values. You can look these up online for some ideas but it’s important you only write down things that resonate with you. Narrow the list down to your core values. Then write down a list of your skills and talents. Put these lists side by side and ask yourself - how can I combine these things to contribute to the world?
We all have something to contribute. Don’t be held back by feeling like you have to change the world. That’s not what this is about. It’s about what we each have to offer - our unique skills, talents and passions.
2. Make friends with your inner critic
Research tells us that 80% of our thoughts are negative and 95% of our thoughts are repetitive. We all have that horrible inner voice that shouts ‘no you can’t!’ Don’t listen to that voice and let it win.
Believe it or not, that voice exists to try and protect you. If you don’t try you can’t fail, it shouts. Unfortunately, it does more damage than good.
When I’m working with clients, I often hear common fallacies like I’m too old, I’m unemployable, I’ve been on a long career break and my skills aren’t relevant, I won’t ever be as good again, the industry has moved on or I’m not up to speed with the markets. The search for meaning will always bring with it fear as things will change so we need to be as robust as possible and work with our negative thoughts and doubts actively.
How do we do this? Ask yourself where that inner critic comes from. If you dig deep enough you usually start to recognise the voice. Start by acknowledging the negative thoughts. Don’t fight them. Just see if you can learn to catch yourself without judgement. ’Hmm.. That was a negative thought.’ Note the thought and see if there are any patterns like some of the fallacies I mentioned above. Write them down if you can.
At the end of the day look at the things on the page and try to flip the narrative. Ask yourself if they are really true? What evidence do you have that proves otherwise? Trust me, you will have it.
Speak kindly to that inner voice - thank you for trying to protect me, but I know what’s best and hiding away isn’t it. You can settle down now and let me do me.
3. Embrace change.
As you start to get greater clarity on what’s meaningful for you and how this might translate into a career change or career tweak, your inner critic is likely to get louder. It’s scared. It’s important that during this phase you work towards embracing change and quieting that critical anxious voice inside your head.
List your fears as they pop up. They may come in the form of annoying ‘what ifs?’ Maybe even share them with someone. It’s remarkable how saying your fears out loud or seeing them written down takes away its power.
Practice being mindful and present. At a macro level assure yourself that you are safe in this moment and find something to be grateful for in the present. Think about what you can achieve today. Understand that what you achieve today is the main thing you have control of.
Big changes can be made by taking regular tiny steps and leaps of faith. It might seem difficult to get started on a new career adventure but then once you make the mental decision that things need to change it suddenly feels easier and easier to keep things moving in the right direction. Small steps lead to big steps, and you’ll soon be asking yourself why you didn’t do this months ago.
Written by Katie Redfern
Katie Redfern is the founder of Meaningful Recruitment and author of Working Meaningfully – Your fast-track guide to a career that lights you up. She’s a highly experienced career adviser, recruitment consultant, professional coach and CV Writer.
With over 20 years of experience in these fields she has helped many clients transition to a happier place in their work life using her wealth of knowledge including her professional coaching qualifications and degree in Social Psychology.
Katie is well known for boosting her client’s confidence by providing them with the tools and resources they need to help them during their career journey. She also has a vast network of organisations that she works with who are striving to make a positive social impact in our world including many B Corporations. For more information and to contact Katie directly go to www.meaningfulrecruitment.co.uk
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