Work and Meaning: Exploring the Importance of Vision and Purpose

Love what you do and it isn't work. Or something along those lines. Pretty common sentiment we have all heard many times. This often comes across like an empty platitude and nothing more, inconsequential to the reality of careers. I certainly remember hearing it in my youth, stuck in jobs I didn't really care for much, thinking "That must be nice". The reality is, loving work is an unfathomable concept to many of us. It's not something you love. It's just something that has to get done.

Many of us may love aspects of our jobs or our work, but rarely the whole thing, and we have come to accept that as a matter of fact. While there is some truth to this idea of loving our work in order to be happy, what really matters more, in my opinion, is feeling passionate about the meaning behind our work. That sense of purpose and meaning is a much greater driver to most than is the love of the tasks themselves (although this may often not hold true for SP temperaments [MBTI], who often do love the task for the task itself; nonetheless, they too benefit from greater vision and purpose).

There is a lot of growing sentiment in the modern workforce suggesting a stronger shift to these priorities. Making money alone is no longer enough, and the industrialist/capitalist extraction economics is no longer a healthy or socially acceptable end goal in itself. Working without a meaningful impact and measurable goals that can benefit humanity as a whole is more and more frowned upon, and less and less people are willing to take jobs in ethically or morally questionable industries that do not present sound practices, sustainability goals, and offer real value to the communities they serve. This is a paradigm shift away from the traditional model of "Who cares about what you actually do, what matters is how much money you can make out of it" towards a more holistic perspective of "What you do really matters, not just how much money you make".

As this shift occurs, many big and established businesses may find themselves a bit lost at sea. Numbers are good, profit is high, shareholders are happy (or, perhaps not)... but no one really knows the point anymore and enthusiasm for corporate vision is stagnant. Morale and employee retention may be somewhat low, especially further down the corporate ladder. Everything appears ok on the surface, but, underneath, something feels wrong. This is because the head of many companies is working at full capacity, but the heart may be stuttering. We need more than just numbers and financial objectives to measure success; companies, and the people that work within them, need real vision and purpose. This provides the passion to pursue groundbreaking new tech, strategies, and ways of engaging in the world. This is how we grow and evolve as business communities, creatively addressing complex problems and innovating new modalities that better care for what really matters: Our planet, our animals, our nature, our people, our children.

To me, it is all a great interconnected web, and everyone, both individuals and business, has their part to play in healing this damaged world. That is why I founded B+C Intuitive Services with my partner; we believe we can play a small part in making the world a better place and serving from our hearts, with integrity and passion. While entrepreneurship isn't easy, especially in a competitive niche market, it's this deeply held vision that helps drive us forward every day. Our purpose is clear and I can honestly say, I love my work (even if not every single task I perform is fun!).

Is your deeper purpose clear? Are you struggling to find the meaning behind your business, non-profit or personal endeavor? Perhaps we can help you bring forth more insight into what really drives you. Or, do you have a clear vision but need help formulating or fine-tuning a roadmap that will allow you to more vigorously pursue that purpose and really deliver? Schedule a consultation with us today and let us help you realize your vision!

Brendan Leishman

Consultant and Owner

B+C Intuitive Services