What Is Purposeful Work?

Do you remember what you wanted to be when you were younger?

Many of us were convinced we were going to do amazing things that would change the world, whether it be discovering new lands or making scientific breakthroughs or just shocking the world with our overall brilliant selves.

It’s likely you haven’t achieved your youthful game plan. But regardless of how old you are you still have a chance to make a positive impact.

We’ve been looking a lot at the Sustainable Development Goals, but this is not the only route to take if you want to change the world.

The idea of purposeful work is rising in prominence and for good reason. Let’s look at why.

Millennials and Generation Z are becoming more and more of a presence and force to be reckoned with in the workplace.

These workers, however, are not as interested in the conventional benefits as previous generations. Instead, they want to feel they are helping to make a difference in this world. This is why purposeful work is rising in prominence.

Bates College saw this shift in mindset and created a Purposeful Work department designed to help its students and graduates find the perfect job and career that allows them to make a difference while also contributing to the economy.

This is the way we should be going. It is better for our economy, our emotional well-being and our future.

Another reason for the increased interest in purposeful work is the growing lack of faith in capitalism.

Although capitalism is pushed by many as the great equalizer and the base that supports a thriving economy more and more people are recognizing the problems inherent in working just for the pursuit of money. With rising income inequality and growing debt fewer people are buying into the false promises present in the concept of capitalism.

Purposeful work, meanwhile, has the potential to remake our relationship with the work world by giving us a solid sense of doing good as we do our job.

Take Purposeful Careers for example. Stating that its vision is “Career services that help you find the work you love and thrive in an evolving workplace,” the association aims to help modern workers find meaningful careers in a changing workforce.

Of course purposeful work also ties back to the Sustainable Development Goals.

The rise in purposeful work comes as Millennials and Generation Z come into power and prominence. These are the generations who see the coming danger and want to shift humanity onto a better, safer path.

Purposeful work can help us achieve the SDGs. The creation (or evolution) of jobs that aim to help reduce poverty and inequality will help move us towards the 2030 Agenda and help change the world.

It should be obvious that purposeful work is the way to go. Giving people a real and beneficial reason to apply themselves will improve overall emotional well-being and (I would imagine) get people to really apply themselves at work.

Think about it: imagine how it would be if you knew your job and your actions were making people’s lives better. You’d have a sense of pride, wouldn’t you?

Although it may seem like a pipe dream it is possible to both contribute to the economy and make a positive impact on the planet.

Purposeful work is a field that everyone should know and more people should have the opportunity to explore. This really is the best way to ease us into a happy, healthy new world order.