What makes you feel the most fulfilled in life or career?
- Thread starter Gaze
- Start date
Feeling like it makes me grow, like we're going somewhere, like we're helping or doing something good for the world.
+1
growth, learning, evolving perceptions, connection and contribution
Working somewhere that improves the public's or specific clients' quality of life and empowers them to live well.
An organization that has a humanistic approach and keeps me busy using my talents and doing new things.
This organization takes Maslow's Hierarchy of needs into account regarding their employees, especially the higher needs of esteem and self actualization. Those needs are addressed through work that is challenging and specific to the individual's skills. In other words employees are valued and not regarded as cogs in a machine that are interchangeable and replacable.
An environment like this would make its employees feel committed to their tasks because if their high level of job satisfaction and personal responsibility. That is ideal.
I hate working for a rigid, formal, impersonal and authoritative organization, and wouldn't last long in a place like that.
In life, a workplace that meets the above criteria and having enough free time to accomplish my own personal interests and goals means I am fulfilled.
An organization that has a humanistic approach and keeps me busy using my talents and doing new things.
This organization takes Maslow's Hierarchy of needs into account regarding their employees, especially the higher needs of esteem and self actualization. Those needs are addressed through work that is challenging and specific to the individual's skills. In other words employees are valued and not regarded as cogs in a machine that are interchangeable and replacable.
An environment like this would make its employees feel committed to their tasks because if their high level of job satisfaction and personal responsibility. That is ideal.
I hate working for a rigid, formal, impersonal and authoritative organization, and wouldn't last long in a place like that.
In life, a workplace that meets the above criteria and having enough free time to accomplish my own personal interests and goals means I am fulfilled.
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Close to my home, friendly supportive co-workers, reasonable bosses, and I can go in without experiencing dread. There are moments of satisfaction from the job itself but the overall work atmosphere and social climate is probably most important-- I can't stand it when everyone is cliquey and gossipy and shitty about everything... there's no amount of money that would ever be able to get me to work in an office full of horrible people playing politics if I could help it.
In life I feel most happy when I know that I'm learning something new, new theories, new angles, new skills, new combinations. I also like it when I'm part of an adventure, could be a trip and organizing the trip, but also fulfilling a vision. I also love building things from beginning to end. I especially love designing it carefully, doing the research and then slowly implementing the whole thing. And fights also make me feel alive, fights and competition, though I think the latter is a bit boring.
Some good answers on here thus far. My view is guided by the following quote: "The supreme accomplishment is to blur the line between work and play.” Arnold Toynbee
My career should be an indistinguishable part of my life and should include the following attributes:
problem solving
teaching
customer service
results oriented, not process oriented
long term planning, short term spontaneity
defined by metrics
variety
more of a strategic position, instead of tactical
brainstorming
creativity to come up with solutions
working for an ethical organization
belief in the company's end product
timely, useful feedback
efforts acknowledged
boss is a coworker and a mentor
have a mentee
mastery of a skill-set, which is applied to new projects
balance between interpersonal interaction and individual work
employees empowered to do the right thing
My career should be an indistinguishable part of my life and should include the following attributes:
problem solving
teaching
customer service
results oriented, not process oriented
long term planning, short term spontaneity
defined by metrics
variety
more of a strategic position, instead of tactical
brainstorming
creativity to come up with solutions
working for an ethical organization
belief in the company's end product
timely, useful feedback
efforts acknowledged
boss is a coworker and a mentor
have a mentee
mastery of a skill-set, which is applied to new projects
balance between interpersonal interaction and individual work
employees empowered to do the right thing
I definitely relate to this comment the most - "fulfilling a vision" is very important for me in my career. Whether this be an overall career vision, or something as specific as quarterly objectives set out by the company or organization I work for. The challenge is breaking these visions down into manageable and measurable chunks so you can see how you're progressing.
Guess I didn't really answer the question. So! To answer your question, what makes me feel most fulfilled in my career is:
-having a sense of accomplishment
-high recognition and advancement/learning opportunities
-freedom to be myself
-close to family and friends
-close to nature and outdoor recreation activities
-relationships of the management team and the staff whom I work (or would) work with
-having a sense of accomplishment
-high recognition and advancement/learning opportunities
-freedom to be myself
-close to family and friends
-close to nature and outdoor recreation activities
-relationships of the management team and the staff whom I work (or would) work with
Learning something new. I'm always after more skills, more exposure to different processes and angles on problem solving. I usually seek a transfer to a different project or company when the knowledge well has dried up.
Independence. I can't fucking stand micromanagers. I'm paid to do the work because I know how to do it or can pick it up quickly. I figure I'll ultimately become an independent contractor or join/start a studio.
Respectful wages.
Independence. I can't fucking stand micromanagers. I'm paid to do the work because I know how to do it or can pick it up quickly. I figure I'll ultimately become an independent contractor or join/start a studio.
Respectful wages.
I only feel like I'm doing something when I'm making music or playing music. Every day is music education class for me. I'm one of those totally guitar obsessed people who's into it more year by year and turning into a total douche because of it.
I have three albums out but I NEED to get at least one more out, my ultimate one, before I die. If I get many years beyond that, I'll spend much time trying to top the next one. Let's hope I am to have a fruitful and long career.
I have three albums out but I NEED to get at least one more out, my ultimate one, before I die. If I get many years beyond that, I'll spend much time trying to top the next one. Let's hope I am to have a fruitful and long career.
That is a GREAT quote JCPA, a phenomenal quote.
That is the hardest thing to do, is to intermingle passion with the great work, but definitely the most rewarding.
For me it's managing to finish things. It's about putting my ideas on paper and turning them into something useful. It's about managing to be productive with my creativity, rather just dreaming away my life. Nothing is so fulfilling for me than managing to beat that ghastly nasty trickery trap of procrastination!
Oh... And being paid well for your efforts is nice too.
Oh... And being paid well for your efforts is nice too.
Being creative, coming up with business ideas and implementing them. Independence. Being ethical and fair towards people.
Having a people-oriented focus that aims to support people's well-being, health, and/or welfare
Flexibility around schedule
Autonomy in how I schedule and carry out my work
A personable workplace that values the well-being of its employees and with colleagues who value a "higher-order" (I don't know what to call this) mentality... i.e. colleagues who don't engage in pettiness and instead focus on what actually matters
Intelligent colleagues/team members
A position and workplace that allows for my work to become a testament to who I am
A position that predominantly utilizes my strengths and in which I can find room to work on my lesser points without having them overwhelm me
Financial stability and security
Ideally I'd like to find work that does not take over my life. I don't want to spend hours commuting, nor do I really want to work 35-40 hours per week. That is too much. Perhaps 0.8 FTE.
A relative degree of solitude in my workspace. physical boundaries between myself and others. must be able to isolate self to preserve energy while working. ideally work that has me having an impact on others that is readily discernable without actually requiring regular in-person interaction that is not balanced with a flexible schedule so I can plan time-off as needed or solo-time as needed.
Involves me writing.
Flexibility around schedule
Autonomy in how I schedule and carry out my work
A personable workplace that values the well-being of its employees and with colleagues who value a "higher-order" (I don't know what to call this) mentality... i.e. colleagues who don't engage in pettiness and instead focus on what actually matters
Intelligent colleagues/team members
A position and workplace that allows for my work to become a testament to who I am
A position that predominantly utilizes my strengths and in which I can find room to work on my lesser points without having them overwhelm me
Financial stability and security
Ideally I'd like to find work that does not take over my life. I don't want to spend hours commuting, nor do I really want to work 35-40 hours per week. That is too much. Perhaps 0.8 FTE.
A relative degree of solitude in my workspace. physical boundaries between myself and others. must be able to isolate self to preserve energy while working. ideally work that has me having an impact on others that is readily discernable without actually requiring regular in-person interaction that is not balanced with a flexible schedule so I can plan time-off as needed or solo-time as needed.
Involves me writing.