I have often had discussions about why we really work and what “work” really means.
Some of the reasons that we work are obvious: We need to support ourselves, our families; we also like to do what we enjoy and get paid for doing just that. Whether we like what we work at or not, it is support.
My thought on this is “if you don’t like what you are doing, find a job that you do like. After all, spending seven to ten hours a day doing what you enjoy should be a much better situation than the alternative.
Satisfaction is another reality of the need to work. In my experience satisfied employees are usually willing to give as much as they have to give to the job they are doing.
In Barry Schwartz’s book Why We Work, Schwartz challenges the idea that working to earn a paycheck because the paycheck is not the key factor in working when talking with people who genuinely enjoy their work.
Now let’s get back to reasons: support; fulfillment of a need; being with people who inspire. There are other reasons why we work and I would encourage you to click on the link below to find out more.
http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/the-real-reasons-we-work/
Peter Morris can be contacted @ prmorris@petermorrisconsulting.net