Back in January, we shared a post about how searching for meaning at work could be making you miserable.

If you haven’t had a chance to read it, check it out because understanding workism is foundational to breaking free from (or, better yet, steering clear of) its pernicious effects.

At The Change Laboratory, we try to remain realistic and honest about the environment we are all navigating on our journey to greater fulfillment. But we don’t tend to traffic in what we’re opposed to. Instead, we try to focus on what we are for. It’s a basic tenant of Positive Psychology and is a much more empowered way to approach the world and all its many, um, challenges.

So we want to revisit that workism post from a different angle.

Let’s look at the “searching for meaning” aspect of the trap of workism. More specifically, let’s look at how you can create your own sense of meaning AND safely derive meaning from an organization you – through choice or necessity – are aligned with.

How can you embrace an organization’s mission without making it your own?

There is a lot of power in a shared mission and belief system. Whether a religion, interest group, or – as we’re talking about here – a workplace, tapping into that shared mission is very motivating and compelling. So we are not suggesting that because these organizations (and belief systems) have the potential to be exploitive, you should avoid them completely. Yes, sometimes avoidance is appropriate, but more often you can connect to the power of an organization’s mission and the meaning it provides while protecting yourself from the potentially exploitive aspects of doing so (i.e. workism).

So what’s the trick?

The most effective way to embrace and derive meaning from your company’s mission without assimilating it is to have your own mission.

What is a personal mission?

A personal mission is a concise declaration of your personality, strengths, core values, life goals, and the impact you aspire to have, both personally and in your career (which includes paid and unpaid pursuits). It serves as a guiding beacon, helping you to align your actions with your deepest beliefs and ambitions. Creating a personal mission requires deep reflection on what you truly want to achieve in life, the principles you hold dear, and the legacy you wish to leave behind. In other words, it requires that you first figure out you.

Here’s an example of what a personal mission statement might look like:

“I envision a future where my creativity and passion for innovation are the clear drivers in my life. My goal is to inspire others, stay curious, and contribute to a sustainable future. I will pursue these aspirations with integrity, courage, and an unwavering dedication to excellence. These characteristics bolster my sense of self, motivate others to be their best selves (family, community, etc.), and drive me to be a leader in my field.”

Notice how this statement covers several key things: personal and professional goals, key attributes, and the values that steer a journey towards success. In short, it’s a personal manifesto that outlines what you hope to achieve as well as the person you want to be.

Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, Monterey County, CA. Photo Credit: No Vacation Required

Also, notice that the personal mission statement is free from one thing that most organizations either have to transparently embrace or obfuscate: revenue growth and profits. This difference is critical because if an organization has investors, its central mission is to pay those investors. That goal – no matter how altruistic and progressive a company attempts or appears to be – creates the conditions for intentional and unintentional exploitation, often via workism.

Your mission, on the other hand, is unburdened by the expectations and constraints of shareholders. Your mission can be solely focused on the impact you want to make and the legacy you want to leave.

Mission as buffer

Once you’ve crafted a personal mission (and done the underlying work of getting to know yourself), you’ve put in place the guardrails necessary to then embrace an organization’s mission. Doing so, however, will be in service of your own mission. Your mission acts as an insulating barrier of self-identified strengths, values, and purpose that helps protect you from over-identifying with an organization’s mission and, ultimately, the traps of workism.

Onward & Upward,