Meaningful Work Begins with Paying Attention

Being good at your job can make it surprisingly hard to ask whether the job still fits. Competence keeps the calendar full. Praise makes a persuasive argument for staying exactly where you are.

Mark C. Crowley’s “Are You Doing the Work You Were Meant to Do?”, published in Psychology Today on September 11, 2026, invites a closer look at that fit. He suggests that our strengths, values, and experiences can help us recognize work that feels meaningful, without requiring belief in one predetermined calling.

Pay attention to the ordinary moments

What catches my attention is how easily a job title can hide the actual work. “Manager” might mean coaching someone through a difficult conversation, repairing a broken process, or spending an afternoon approving forms. The same title can contain very different kinds of days.

That makes the ordinary moments worth examining. Perhaps you enjoy translating a complicated idea into something a colleague can use. Perhaps you like organizing the loose ends so everyone else can move forward. Those contributions can disappear inside a performance review even when they are the most satisfying part of the week.

Try a small experiment

My practical takeaway is to keep a short work journal for a week. After one satisfying task each day, write down what you actually did, who it helped, and what made the experience worthwhile. Use verbs: explained, repaired, organized, encouraged, built. Specific actions give you something to test.

Then choose one modest experiment. Offer to document a confusing procedure. Ask to help a new colleague learn the ropes. Reserve a little time for a neglected problem you want to solve, if your role allows it. Notice whether doing more of that activity still feels worthwhile once the novelty wears off.

Keep the experiment bounded. Enjoying the unofficial role of team problem-solver does not mean volunteering for an unlimited second job. A useful discovery should eventually inform your responsibilities, support, and compensation, too.

Leave room for a whole life

There is also room for a job that pays the bills while your deepest commitments live elsewhere. Family, community, creative work, and service do not become less meaningful because they are absent from a résumé. The question of fit should make life more spacious, rather than turn employment into another test of personal worth.

Crowley’s essay is a thoughtful starting point for that reflection. Read his full article at Psychology Today, including his personal account of how his experiences shaped his approach to leadership.

Which small part of your working week would you like to make more room for?