WORK
“Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, you ought to set up a life you don’t need to escape from.”
— Seth Godin
It feels cliche to many of us to talk about the importance of our work. Of course, many of us spend more hours at work than anywhere else in our lives but at home. (And sometimes more time with our co-workers than our significant others.)
And yes, Gallup tells us that a staggering portion of the US workforce is either not engaged or actively disengaged in their work.
How many books, workshops, and online courses are blithely dedicated to helping us “find our passion” and transform what makes us “happy into our career?” It raises the ugly question: if we are not “happy” or “passionate” in our work, do we need to ditch it or resign ourselves to being forever stuck and unfulfilled?
So, what are we to think about our work? Our Scare Your Soul answer is simple: Our “work” is our way to creatively bring our best ideas and efforts into the world so that (1) we can find personal meaning and (2) our work positively impacts other people.
In other words, we courageously pursue “meaningful work.” What is meaningful work? Meaningful work helps people feel a part of something larger than themselves. They feel motivated by the tasks set before them and inspired to do their best possible work.
Wharton management professor Adam Grant once studied a group of college students who worked as phone solicitors as they called alumni to ask for contributions to their university. As an experiment, Grant arranged for a recent graduate who had attended the university on a scholarship funded by such solicitation efforts to meet the students. The graduate gave a short talk about how the scholarship had affected his life and how grateful he was for their solicitation efforts.
The money that the students raised increased 171 percent afterward.
We do our best work in the world when we know that what we are doing has MEANING.
When we know that, we become more creative. Innovative. Persistent. Brave. We take more risks. We better overcome our fears.
This is a huge departure from how things used to be. Many of us remember the old adage that was drummed into us when we were young: “You think you’re actually supposed to like your work? That’s why it’s called “work!”
Your SYS Work Challenge is…
DAVID EDELMAN, AMBASSADOR
TAKE ONE BOLD STEP IN YOUR WORK
Let’s begin by reflecting:
If you have a job currently, let’s start with that. (And that job, of course, could be parenting full-time or volunteering.) If you don’t think about a job that you would LIKE to have, without too much worry about the practicality.
Before you begin… We encourage you to print out this webpage so that you can write down your thoughts as you go.
Now, what are three things that about your current job (or the job that you dream of having) where you feel like you are making a difference in some way?
- ___________________________________________________
- ___________________________________________________
- ___________________________________________________
Ok, now, choose one of those things. Circle it.
Now reflect on this: How could you make your impact in this area even greater?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Now, you get to do the best part of this experience. You get to DECIDE. Thinking about your work, assessing what feels meaningful, the step you could take to experience even more meaning, and confronting the fear that resides inside it:
What will you do? What do you NEED to do? Do you need to take a small step into your fear? A big one? Do you need to push forward, or pivot completely?
Those decisions are YOURS. But the key is: To take ACTION.
This week, take one step into fear so that you can feel more meaning in your work. THAT is your challenge.
When you do it, record what happened here:
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A quick note: If you liked this challenge, the new Scare Your Soul book has an entire chapter on how to make a difference in your work. It features inspiring stories, the science behind finding meaning in your work, more in-depth writing prompts and an entire week of work challenges.
If you are interested in sharing your experience, e-mail us at contact@scareyoursoul.com
But the prime beneficiary of the challenge is YOU. What did you get out of this experience? What buttons did it push that was challenging? Did it spur you on to do another one?
Ready to take it up a notch?
If you are ready, we encourage you to do a week of Scaring Your Soul.
For the next seven days, “do one thing that scares you.” That means one thing every day where you intentionally push a comfort zone. Your act can be tiny. Baby steps. But at least once every day, take action.
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- Call one person you are avoiding
- Do something that ramps up your sense of spirituality, or take 15 minutes to meditate
- Reconnect with an old friend you haven’t spoken to in ages
- Try a brand new physical practice, or move your body in a new and challenging way
- Eat vegan or plant-based for a day, or commit to being sober when you would normally drink
- Have an honest conversation with someone you care about
Whatever it is for YOU. But they key: DO IT.
Ready to take it up a notch?
If you are ready, we encourage you to do a week of Scaring Your Soul.
For the next seven days, “do one thing that scares you.” That means one thing every day where you intentionally push a comfort zone. Your act can be tiny. Baby steps. But at least once every day, take action.
-
- Call one person you are avoiding
- Do something that ramps up your sense of spirituality, or take 15 minutes to meditate
- Reconnect with an old friend you haven’t spoken to in ages
- Try a brand new physical practice, or move your body in a new and challenging way
- Eat vegan or plant-based for a day, or commit to being sober when you would normally drink
- Have an honest conversation with someone you care about
Whatever it is for YOU. But they key: DO IT.
Moving Forward - A Message From Scott Simon
Hello dear friend!
I want to offer my personal congratulations on starting your own Scare Your Soul journey. We all – no matter our background – have the human right to live the best life. One full of love, connection, joy. And, in my view, the key that unlocks that life is one word: courage.
I am so proud that Scare Your Soul offers free weekly challenges that will push you in all kinds of powerful ways. But – in reality – you don’t need our challenges to lead your boldest life. You just need to continue to tackle the small-but-brave acts that are meaningful to YOU.
Try this: In your mind, fast forward to one one year from today. What would your life look and be like if you chose to do one thing every day that scared you?
- What kind of new experiences will you have?
- What kind of real, vulnerable interactions will you have with loved ones?
- What ideas will you have that you will courageously share with others?
- What growth will you have in your work or communal life?
- What kind of role-modeling will you do for kids, grand-kids, or family members?
When we all adopt a Scare Your Soul attitude, we open doors to our lives. We often don’t know what will be on the other side. And that is delicious. To me, that is what life is all about.
So, starting TODAY, don’t let those petty, self-generated fears stop you. You have every right to an audacious, amazing life. The one you were destined to lead.
Best wishes on your journey ahead. Sending you lots of courage.
-Scott
PS: Send me any questions or comments any time at scott@scareyoursoul.com – I try my best to answer each and every one.
