“Purpose” – The Work Thing

Careers, Cash, and Why Your Job Doesn’t Have to Be Your Life’s Purpose

Right, Let’s Address the Office Elephant in the Room

You don’t have to love your job.

There. I said it. You can stop pretending to be thrilled about quarterly reviews and “team-building activities” that involve shouting about synergy in a conference room.

We’ve been sold a lie that our careers should complete us, fulfil us, and make us leap out of bed every morning like we’re starring in an inspirational Apple advert. But in reality, for most of us, work is a mix of “it’s fine”, “I hate Mondays”, and “who scheduled another meeting that could’ve been an email?”

And that’s completely okay.

We’ve romanticised work to the point of madness. Every job post now promises “purpose-driven roles,” “dynamic environments,” and “family-like cultures” (translation: no overtime pay, but we have beanbags).

According to Gallup’s 2023 State of the Global Workplace Report, only 23% of employees worldwide feel engaged at work. The rest are either coasting, disconnected, or fantasising about being a lighthouse keeper in Scotland.

We can’t all be astronauts, artists, or YouTube philosophers. Sometimes you just need a steady gig that pays the bills and leaves you enough brain cells to enjoy your weekend.

And that’s not failure, that’s balance.

Here’s the dangerous bit: we’ve tied our identity to our income.

Ask a bloke at a party what he does, and he’ll tell you his job title, not who he is, what he values, or what lights him up.

We treat job status like moral worth. But if your purpose depends on your payslip, you’re always one redundancy away from an existential crisis.

Here’s a thought: maybe your day job doesn’t have to be your dream job.

You can have two “jobs”:

1. The one that pays the bills.
2. The one that feeds your soul.

They don’t have to be the same thing.

Your day job can fund your night job, your creative project, your volunteering, your weekend coaching gig, or just your ability to take your kid to football and not panic about rent.

That’s not giving up. That’s strategic purpose management.

As writer Austin Kleon argues in Keep Going, the day job can actually protect your creativity by taking the financial pressure off your passion.

Of course, some jobs aren’t just dull, they’re soul-sucking.
If you wake up with dread, it’s not boredom anymore; it’s a sign of a mismatch.

The NHS Every Mind Matters site has good tools for spotting chronic work stress before it becomes burnout.

And if your workplace is toxic (gaslighting boss, endless “urgent” emails, moral hangovers every Friday), you’re not overreacting. That’s not “adulting.” That’s emotional erosion.

Start by talking to someone, such as your GP, HR, or Mind’s workplace mental health support. Even a small change (like flexible hours or a transfer) can restore a bit of sanity.

Here’s the trick: meaning at work isn’t about the task, it’s about the context.

You can create purpose by reframing what you do:

1. Connect the Dots
   Ask yourself: who benefits from my work? Who’s helped, even indirectly, by me doing this well?
   • Check out Adam Grant’s TED Talk on finding meaning in everyday work.
2. Redesign Your Role (Quietly)
   Sociologists call it “job crafting.” It means subtly tweaking what you do to match your strengths and values.
   • Great guide here: Positive Psychology’s Job Crafting Exercises.
3. Find Small Mastery Moments
   You might not be curing cancer, but every time you solve a problem, help a colleague, or nail a task, you’ve made a small dent in chaos. That’s the purpose in micro form.

Sometimes, the healthiest thing you can do is decide that your job doesn’t have to be extraordinary; it just has to be enough.

Enough money.
Enough stability.
Enough energy left at the end of the day to enjoy the rest of your life.

The world doesn’t need more “high achievers.” It needs more men who can say, “I’m fine, thanks, I finished on time and didn’t lose my mind.”

As The School of Life says beautifully:

“We don’t have to do everything well; we just have to do enough well enough.”

There’s a weird shame around wanting financial security these days, as if caring about money makes you shallow.

Let’s be clear: money isn’t evil; it’s freedom. It buys you breathing room, options, and dignity.

The trick is to let money be your tool, not your trophy.
If you’re constantly chasing the next raise or promotion just to feel worthy, you’re working for approval, not purpose.

As the Financial Therapy Association research shows, financial stress isn’t just about debt; it’s about the emotional weight we attach to earning.

So yes, ask for the raise. But also ask yourself: What am I trying to prove?

We’ve all been there, stuck in the role that drains you but pays your rent.

Here’s how to stay sane:

• Create Micro Joys – Music, snacks, lunchtime walks, silly rituals. Small pleasures are acts of rebellion.
• Have a “Project B” – A side plan that reminds you you’re not trapped. Doesn’t have to make money; it just gives you hope.
• Practice Strategic Disengagement – You don’t have to care about everything. Choose your battles. Not every email deserves your soul.
• Plan Your Exit – Even if it’s six months away. Having a timeline turns despair into a strategy.

You’re not stuck, you’re staging your comeback.

• Gallup: Global Workplace Report 2023
• The School of Life: “The Enough Mindset”
• Adam Grant TED Talk: The Power of Helping Others
• Positive Psychology: Job Crafting Exercises
• Mind: Work and Stress Support

Your job isn’t your legacy, it’s your livelihood.

You don’t owe the world a grand career; you owe yourself a life that feels balanced, connected, and occasionally fun.

So, stop asking if your job is your purpose. Ask if it gives you enough space to build purpose elsewhere.

If it does great.
If it doesn’t start building that plan.

Because purpose doesn’t live in your payslip. It lives in how you show up when you’re off the clock.

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