In an interview late in his life, the psychologist Sigmund Freud was asked to expound on what he felt were the most important constituents of life. His answer? “Liebe und Arbeit.” Love and work.
 
For most of human history, the meaning of work and the meaning of life intersected at survival. Work was life.
 
When cheap energy and mechanization started us down the path of staggering increases in productivity, some philosophers and visionaries began speculating about how we would use the extra “leisure time” we would gain from all this productivity. The reality has proved much different than projected. How do we spend the “extra time?” We work.
 
Yet for many of us, work that we would call “meaningful” remains elusive. We can’t always pinpoint what’s missing or what it is that would give our lives meaning.
 
The Alarm-Clock Test
This, then, begs the question: What is the meaning of “meaningful?” To answer questions like that, you can apply the Alarm-Clock Test. If the alarm clock rings and you’re already out of bed getting ready for work because you are thrilled by what you’re doing and each new day on the job is certain to provide some worthy experience, then the chances are pretty good that you’re somewhere near that sweet spot. 

But if you’re failing the Alarm-Clock Test—not some of the time, but all the time—looking for a different kind of work may make sense.  
  
Getting To The Core
Ultimately, the meaning in your work is about how closely it aligns with your core. Core being the intersection between what you are good at (your gift) and what you love to do (your passion).
 
To get a better understanding of your relationship with meaningful work and your core consider the following questions:  

•  How is your soul enriched and enlivened through your work?
•  How does your work contribute to the future?
•  How does your sense of service to others show up in your work?
•  How has your relationship with work changed over the course of your life?
•  Do you have a philosophy, mission, vision, etc. that guides your work life? If so, what is it and how did you come to it?

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