Despite reaching the summit of success, many individuals feel unhappy.
This is the same as with Jodi Wellman, a positive psychology expert who served as an executive leader for 17 years. She discovered that reaching the peak of success did not bring her any sense of fulfillment at all.
Shared with CNBC Make It, Wellman was driven by achievement, linking her self-worth to her work, productivity, and job title, feeling trapped in the facade of success. Wellman, who previously held executive positions at companies like The Sports Clubs of Canada and Bally Total Fitness, recently launched the well-being platform Four Thousand Mondays and authored the book You Only Die Once. Despite her successful career, she felt stuck in her last corporate role as senior president of operations at Bally Total Fitness. She described it as hitting a glass ceiling and not having further opportunities for growth because she rested her entire identity on her career.
She understood that she had placed all her hopes on deriving meaning solely from work, neglecting every other facet of her life.
What if Work Is Just Part of Our Big Lives?
One method Wellman suggests to discover meaning is decentering work and prioritizing life outside work.
Wellman proposed the idea of work being merely a segment of one's big life and emphasized the necessity of investing additional effort in constructing a life beyond work that lights us up and brings meaning, too. Individuals often have limited control over their tasks and responsibilities at work, where expectations are predetermined. However, they can exert energy in their personal lives outside of work by consciously selecting and organizing their activities, resulting in a more profound sense of well-being, which might involve exploring new hobbies, participating in fitness classes, engaging in volunteer work, or enrolling in courses. Such actions help to mitigate the stress of solely seeking meaning and happiness within one's professional life.
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There's Not Enough World for Us to Change
There exists a societal norm that work is supposed to provide the supreme source of purpose and meaning in life. However, Wellman contends that this notion is incorrect.
Many of us are chasing an unattainable goal and on a consistent quest to secure a job that ignites passion, utilizes our full range of talents, contributes meaningfully to the world, and provides substantial compensation. Unfortunately, work is not structured to fulfill all these aspirations. Many people feel pressured to pursue a career with a significant, glorious, and world-changing purpose, causing them to overlook their personal lives outside of work.
Wellman emphasized that "There's not enough world for all of us to change it" and that people should focus on altering their worlds and finding meaning in their lives instead.
In her book, Wellman shared stories of individuals she interviewed who found their purpose uniquely. One highly successful woman discovered her purpose was to uplift people through her conversations. At the same time, the other individual wanted to be the best uncle possible since he did not have children and felt his job was ordinary.
This localized approach to finding purpose is often more accessible and impactful for most people.
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