As we note in Chapter 4 of Make Your Job a Calling, most people agree that experiencing a positive sense of meaning—defined as “the sense made of, and significance felt regarding,the nature of one’s being and existence”[1]—is fundamental to living “the good life.” Yet how many take serious steps toward living meaningfully at work? One way to think through this question is to evaluate how well your career goals fit within the context of your life goals. Try this: for starters, think about your life as a whole. What, ultimately, is most important to you? How would you describe your life’s purpose? With answers to these questions in mind, list at least five life goals you are currently pursuing. (We recommend you write these down, either here, in a journal, or on a separate sheet.)
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Next, think carefully about your career for a moment—your current job situation, the kind of work you most want to do, and the steps you need to take to bridge the gap between these, if there is one. How close or far away are you from where you want to be? What role do you want your career to play within the broader context of your life? With your answers to these questions in mind, list at least five career goals you are currently pursuing:
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Now look closely at the goals you listed above for your life and your career. To what extent are your career goals in line with your life goals? Are you happy with your answer to this question? If not, what needs to change?
[1] M. F. Steger, Patricia Frazier, Shigehiro Oishi, and Matthew Kaler, “The Meaning in Life Questionnaire: Assessing the Presence of and Search for Meaning in Life,” Journal of Counseling Psychology 53.1 [2006]: 80–93, 81.
Make Your Job a Calling 
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