It is obvious that any sensible person would do meaningful tasks as opposed to what could be called a drudgery. So what makes a task - your job, blogging, serving others - meaningful?
Malcolm Gladwell, in his book, Outliers, lists out three characteristics that make any task meaningful:
These are:
1. There should be a clear relationship between effort and reward.
2. The task should be complex. It should engage your mind and imagination.
3. One should have autonomy. You should be your own boss.
Now, evaluate your job satisfaction around these factors.
Hmmm... come to think of it, I now know why blogging is so hugely popular. It requires imagination and the mind is engaged. You are your own boss and most of the time there is a relationship between effort and rewards (readership, money, whatever). The more you blog, the more are the chances that you will be discovered. Or you can hop on to the Alphainventions gravy train.
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1 comment:
I agree with these three things you mentioned that make a task meaningful. What was not mentioned, but may be equally important, is having a sense that the task you are doing makes a difference in the grand scheme of things. For example, if you do something as simple as picking something up that a person dropped and handing it to them, you could get a sense of satisfaction from hypothesizing that the person will be grateful for what you have done.
Great thoughts! Thanks for posting!
~George Lichter~
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