Your employer isn’t responsible for your sense of purpose

This is my 83rd post of the year. 

Across some 70,000 words, I’ve written a great deal about doing things that compound, finding purpose in work, and the magic of a daily writing habit.

I’ve also thought deeply about what happens when ambition clashes with corporate culture, which is what I’m attempting to unpack today. The bigger a company gets, I’ve learned, the more it optimizes to maintain the status quo.

And rightfully so. The stakes are higher. 

This means, generally, the innovation that gets a company off the ground fades over time, which in turn implies that full-service, multi-talented individuals become far less valued. The further a company gets from its days as a startup, the more it can afford to seek out specific people for specific tasks. 

Tied to that idea, two lessons in particular stand out from this year — not because they catapulted me further, but because they did not. 

1. Your skills don’t always match your ambitions 

This isn’t obviously a bad thing.

If I could do everything I ever dreamed of right this second, that would leave me with nothing left to strive toward. 

It’s still frustrating though. Taking big swings before you’re ready is how you bridge the gap between cluelessness and experience. On many occasions this year, I felt ready to be bold and experiment with a new project, but I wasn’t always given the go-ahead. 

Initially, I was shocked that asking to adopt more responsibility wasn’t met with enthusiasm (particularly in a time when “quiet quitting” and doing the bare minimum has become the norm). 

Perhaps it’s for the best I wasn’t allowed to move forward on certain initiatives. But part of me wonders whether I didn’t make my case well enough, or showcase my abilities sufficiently beforehand. 

So yes, your skills won’t always match your ambitions. But it also seems true to me that even if your skills do match your ambitions, you still have to convince the relevant parties this is the case. 

2. Your employer isn’t responsible for your sense of purpose

Ideally, we would all gain a sense of purpose from our jobs. But that’s become increasingly difficult in a plug-and-play world where most people change companies every couple years and corporations are still adapting to a hybrid world.

As a journalist, I’m among the lucky few where my job is indeed my passion. Being a writer is who I am and what I love to be. 

But like anyone, I do have days where I consider my job description and wonder if this is all I’m meant to do.

Yet, I’ve learned this year that it isn’t my manager’s job or my employer’s responsibility to make sure I’m fulfilled. They are there to ensure certain tasks are completed each day, and to compensate me for specific outcomes — anything on top of that is a bonus. 

I actually now believe it’s unfair of me to ask my employer for anything regarding personal development or meaning. Those are my own responsibility, independent of who signs my paychecks. 

I do believe that work is critical to fulfillment, and when your passions align with what you’re paid to do, there’s nothing better. 

But acknowledging that while accepting that you shouldn’t look to your employer for a sense of meaning is important. It places the responsibility in the right place (on your own shoulders).

It’s like a well-tailored suit. It may fit well, look good, and give you confidence, but the suit will never define you.

That comes from within — and sticks around long after you change outfits.

Questions to ask for 2024

Below is a list of work-related questions I’ve been asking myself ahead of the new year.

I hope you find them useful. Thank you for a great year.

• What projects energized you this year, and which ones did you wish you didn’t have to complete?
• What work did you prioritize and what did you let slide? Why?
• What promises to yourself did you keep or break?
• What work did you accomplish this year that brought you the most joy?
• What challenged you most this year, and was it something that was self-imposed or not?
• What would your job look like if it was perfect?

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