In 1776, the Declaration of Independence boldly stated that among our unalienable rights are “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.” Nearly 300 years later, we fiercely protect our freedoms, advocate for our rights, and chase happiness in our personal lives.
And yet, when it comes to work, where we spend the majority of our waking hours, we often treat it as an obligation, a necessary sacrifice, or simply a means to pay the bills.
But if the pursuit of happiness is a right, shouldn’t it apply to the way we work as well? Shouldn’t we pursue more than just survival from what we are expected to pour our blood, sweat, and tears into?
The Limited Time We Truly Control
Every day, we are given 24 hours—but the vast majority of that time is already spoken for:
Sleeping 8 hours (if you’re lucky)
Working 8 hours (if you’re lucky)
Commuting 1 hour
Eating 1 hour
Cooking & Cleaning Up 1.25 hours
Household Chores & Errands 1.5 hours
Personal Hygiene & Getting Ready 1 hour
Total Non-Discretionary Time: ~21.75 hours
Discretionary Time Left: ~2.25 hours per day
That’s right—we only have about 2 to 3 hours per day to truly choose what we do. This includes hobbies, socializing, relaxation, exercise, entertainment, and personal growth.
But here’s where it gets interesting—our work hours don’t have to be entirely outside our control.
If we reclaim how we experience work—by choosing the right career, employer, leader, and environment, we can turn at least part of that 8-hour work block into something we actually enjoy and control.
The Cost of Working Without Purpose
Too many people approach work as a J.O.B.—a means to a paycheck, nothing more. And while working for money is a necessity, treating work as merely a transaction eventually leads to burnout, exhaustion, and deep dissatisfaction.
When we work only to survive, we may wake up one day and ask ourselves, “What was it all for?” The exception is those who consciously trade 40+ hours of work for around 22 hours of joy per week and feel the exchange is worth it.
If that’s you, I genuinely hope it’s enough in the long run. But for many, it’s not.
Research consistently shows that people who find purpose in their work experience:
- Greater job satisfaction and engagement
- Higher productivity
- Better mental and physical health
Conversely, those who feel stuck in a job just to make ends meet often experience:
- Higher stress levels
- Decreased motivation
- A sense of being unfulfilled
We suffer—not just in our careers, but in our overall well-being—when our work lacks meaning.
Yes, it’s all true. And then I read a post on LinkedIn by my colleague, Louis Swingrover, and found myself in a state of “Duh” and “Mindblowing” at the same time.
Here is his post:
“MIT Sloan School of Management recently spotlighted three ‘green flags’ of meaningful work[1], but there’s a problem. The flags themselves are great, insofar as they go:
1. You feel a sense of belonging
2. You feel your work is significant
3. You feel a sense of personal growth
These echo decades of research, from Self-Determination Theory[2] to Herzberg’s motivators[3].
Now just imagine you’re Galen Erso.
You belong. You’re growing. Your contribution clearly makes a difference.
……..and you’re advancing the construction of a literal Death Star.
If you also have a conscience, you’re miserable. MIT’s green flags aren’t enough.
What’s missing is:
4. You are contributing to a noble cause.
As Viktor Frankl wrote in Man’s Search for Meaning, “Since Auschwitz we know what man is capable of. And since Hiroshima we know what is at stake.”[4]
It misses the point to focus on community, contribution, and challenge, as if the point were psychological fulfillment or self-actualization.
The point is to do good.
That’s what’s fulfilling. That’s what it means to do meaningful work. Leaders must ask not merely, “How can we help people feel fulfilled?” but more importantly, “Is our mission worthy?”
This reframes the discussion and places the focus where it belongs. Don’t recruit others to work on a Death Star and then try to motivate them. Work on something noble and then recruit others to help advance the cause (and pay them well, BTW).
⸻ [1] The Three Green Flags of Meaningful Work, MIT Sloan Management Review, 2024.https://lnkd.in/ggnGtXPA [2] Deci, E.L. & Ryan, R.M. (1985). Intrinsic Motivation and Self-Determination in Human Behavior. [3] Herzberg, F. (1968). One More Time: How Do You Motivate Employees?, Harvard Business Review. [4] Frankl, V.E. (1946). Man’s Search for Meaning. Connect with Louis here: linkedin.com/in/louisswingrover
Taking Back Control: Making Work a Choice, Not a Chore
We don’t have to accept work as a prison sentence, and we certainly don’t have to work on the Death Star to pay our bills. We have choices.
Instead, we can reclaim our work time by choosing:
How we work – Do we thrive in structured or flexible environments? Do we need creativity or predictability?
For whom we work – Does our employer align with our values? Are they contributing to something good? Or are you influencing good and noble causes in a system building the Death Star? You could be the difference!
How we’re treated – Does our culture encourage growth, autonomy, fairness, and respect?
When we make better choices about our work, we don’t just endure those 8-hour shifts—we own them.
We turn them into hours of joy, learning, and impact. We add to our happiness rather than subtract from it.
Jobs Are a Means to an End—Careers Should Be the End
There’s nothing wrong with taking a job to pay the bills. Sometimes, that’s exactly what we need to do.
The danger is in staying there—settling for a career that doesn’t energize us, because we think that’s just the way work is supposed to be.
If you believe that work is only about survival, then you haven’t yet experienced the joy of meaningful work.
And if you expect others to “grind it out” just because you had to, then you’re unintentionally (or maybe intentionally) advocating for their unhappiness, and pride may be fueling your need to bring others down with you. Not cool!
What Fuels Your Happiness?
If you’re stuck in a role that drains you, start asking the bigger questions:
- What kind of work excites me?
- What kind problems do I love solving?
- What kind of environment allows me to thrive? Be careful of this one. Have you seen the movie Bonhoeffer? Thriving, without the next bullet point can lead to a lifetime of regret and working the rest of your life to undo or at least make up for building the Death Star. Literally!
- Does the mission of my work serve the greater good?
These aren’t small questions. But they are essential ones because the pursuit of happiness doesn’t stop at the office door.
It follows you into every meeting, every email, every late-night shift, every moment you choose between just making a living and actually building a life.
Final Thought: Purpose Is the Point.
We can’t control the fact that we need to work.
But we can control how, for whom, and why we work.
That’s how we reclaim our time—and our joy.
That’s how we build not just careers, but callings.
That’s how we pursue happiness—and do something good in the process.
Want to learn more about how Hiring Strategies can help? Hiring Strategies provides the solutions you need, from comprehensive leadership development via our LEAP program to precise assessments for optimal team and cultural fit. Reach out today, and let’s tackle these challenges hand-in-hand.