Part of living the dream as a self-employed individual is the general knowledge that what you’re doing is making a difference. Even if the difference only affects the people immediately surrounding you, fulfillment is a key to happiness. Since we spend the bulk of our time at work, it makes sense that doing work that is fulfilling can give you a sense of true happiness.
While not every task may change the world on a global scale, there are ways to stay inspired regardless of what work you are currently doing. Take a few minutes and read over the following ideas on helping you find true fulfillment every day:
A GOOD RULE OF THUMB: ALWAYS LEAVE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE BECAUSE YOU WERE THERE.
Do work that helps others
When you focus on making other people happy, you can’t help but feel happy yourself. Even if your job may not feel very inspiring, there are always moments when you can go the extra mile to do something for someone else. Grab coffee for someone, handle a customer service response quickly and efficiently, or do something to make life easier for the person in the cubicle next to you.
This type of attitude helps frame your day so you’re not focused on what you’re getting or not getting, but rather how can you help others make their day better. A good rule of thumb for this key: always leave the world a better place because you were there.
Focus on making the world better
Ideally, we all want to do work that creates positive global change. You may not be entrusted with saving the rainforest or finding our next energy supply, but you can do things each day to try and make the world better. You can inspire co-workers and customers to be more environmentally conscious with recycling and energy use.
You can help your organization connect with local charities and non-profits in your area. You can also get a group together and volunteer. You’ll be surprised at how fulfilling work becomes when you’re involved in something that feels bigger than yourself.
Make someone smile
Perhaps the easiest way to feel fulfilled at work is to try and boost the moods of the people you interact with. Pass along humorous or inspiring messages. Let someone know you think they’re doing a great job. Compliment others whenever the opportunity arises. It’s easy to find fault, so try to be the person people can count on to be inspiring instead.
Inspire others to do their best work
Some of the most influential thinkers of our time have one thing in common – they’ve inspired countless others to find their own greatness. There’s nothing quite as fulfilling as being a motivator for someone else to find and reach their true potential.
You can do this in a variety of ways – from starting a mentoring program at your work to starting a reward system for overachievement or even, quite simply, doing your own best work. Many times your own life can be inspiration enough for other people to become motivated.
Be an example of positivity
Negativity is like a virus in the workplace. Once it gets started, it keeps spreading until someone shifts the focus in another direction. Help people find more positive habits by being an example of positivity yourself. This means not engaging in gossip or negative talk about work.
You can inspire other people with encouraging words and point out when people are doing something right. Taking that few extra minutes to give someone some well-deserved praise can make all the difference in their day. The result is that you feel better and are more fulfilled!
By: Jennifer Good
Jennifer Good writes on many topics related to content marketing, social media, leadership & productivity for leading publications. You can also find her at JenniferGood.com.
