I cringed a bit as tantrums from my 4 and 5 year olds ensued. “I can’t believe we’re not going on an adventure today, mommy!” Due to the nature of my job, I’m grateful to spend a lot of time with my kids over the summer. We go on a lot of adventures to the pool, splash pad, hikes, ice cream outings and more. But, not every day can be a fun-filled adventure.
I reminded myself of this during a very mundane work day. It was one of those admin-heavy days: Working through Excel spreadsheets, getting caught up on grading, completing mandatory cyber security training, etc. On days like this I tend to wonder, “What the heck am I even doing with my life? None of this is exciting. Am I even making a difference?!”
I could have followed that anxious thought spiral even further, but instead I tried to quiet my mind and allow the Holy Spirit to lead me. I was overcome with a sense that we can’t have “impactful” work days without doing the stuff other people can’t see.
A mundane work day is a conduit to meaningful work if we keep the right perspective.
Here’s an example: On that same, seemingly meaningless day I was trying to find a new classroom for one of my classes the following semester. The classroom I was scheduled in wasn’t equipped with the type of technology needed to support my teaching. I did a classroom search and found one that fit the bill, and emailed the woman responsible for reserving all classrooms across the university.
Can you imagine what a tedious job that is–managing hundreds of spaces across thousands of classes that each have different needs? However, professors aren’t able to do their important work without reserved spaces to collaborate with their students.
She emailed me back saying she was able to successfully change the location of my class. I responded to her saying, “Thanks so much, Stacy! I really appreciate the work you do managing classroom scheduling. It’s an important job because it allows us to teach our students effectively!”
She replied right away thanking me for my kind words and included a few smiley emojis. I can’t imagine that Stacy is often reminded how important her work is, or even receives thank yous, for that matter. The enthusiasm evident in Stacy’s response turned my day around completely and put a lot into perspective.
In a society where graduating seniors are told, “Go out and change the world, make a difference!” and where we are exposed to a constant social media stream of posts saying, “I’m excited to announce that…” it’s easy to get discouraged when we’re stuck in a mundane work day (or week, or even months). If you’re feeling this way, I encourage you to check out the action steps below.
ACTION STEPS: How to keep momentum in your work when things feel meaningless
Email, text, or message a colleague, vendor or friend to compliment them or remind them of the importance of their work
Reflect on how the day-to-day nature of your work moves your organization closer to its goals, directly or indirectly by supporting someone else’s work
Recognize how far you’ve come–personally and professionally–in the last six months. Even slow growth is still growth and ‘zooming out’ offers perspective
Invest in yourself outside of work. What’s a hobby, cause or social movement you can cultivate?
RESOURCES
Related scripture: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord and not for men.” (Colossians 3:23)
Song: I’m So Blessed (Cain)
Instagram account: @lizandmollie - helps us makes sense of emotions and work
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