Good Morning Faithful Readers!
Until Aug 15, I am planning to share with you my summaries of ten chapters from Tom Rath’s book, Are You Fully Charged? (AYFC). I began this series on July 30 with the book’s Prologue. Never before have I committed nearly a dozen posts to one author in succession so I am also asking you to join me praying for your receptivity to these remaining posts until Aug 15, and for the future posts being planned beyond to avoid wasting everyone’s valuable spiritual time and energy. If ever nudged to send me a suggestion, be it a complaint or praise, send to merlin.erb@gmail.com or text, call, WhatsApp 330 465-2565. Thank you.
For those of you desiring more “meaningfulness” from Tom, email me & I’ll send you a Word doc. of the ten chapters I’ve summarized thus far, or better yet, go to thriftbooks (earlier they had 8 copies @$6.19 ea.) so order your own copy(s). Who else do you know who could benefit from Tom’s journey to find meaningfulness in their work, & especially, retirement? And I also trust, you’ll encourage others to subscribe to the blog and thereby increase our efficiency.
Ch. Four: Finding A Higher Calling Than Cash
Working primarily for money is little more than a modern-day form of bribery. We know non-financial incentives – such as recognition, attention, respect, and responsibility – can be more effective than financial incentives. Self-employed entrepreneur and author Tom Rath writes instead of starting with classic economics to prioritize his time schedule, he now begins by asking how his time can make a difference for others. He has found that leading with this fundamental question before delving into the financial aspects, usually leads to better choices.
Avoid Upward Comparison
When researchers looked at the actual differences in life satisfaction that a sudden doubling of income ($25k to $55k), it did boost happiness – by 9 percent. Nine percent is better than 0 percent, but, as one of the study’s authors put it, “It’s still kind of a letdown when you were expecting a 100 percent return.” It’s important to note that financial security is vital to your well-being. Constant worry about being able to pay off debt can lead to stress, fear, and uncertainty. Yet, if you are able to reach a level of basic financial security, making more money becomes less important for your daily well-being. At much higher income levels, increases in annual pay are unlikely to produce any real effect. Simply judging the success of career based on the amount of money you make can quickly lead you astray. Ask yourself a few basic questions: Are your relationships stronger because of your job? Id your physical health better because of the organization you are part of? Are you contributing more to society because of what you do every day?
The more you focus your efforts on others, the easier it is to do great work without being dependent on external rewards like money, power, or fame. A fortune will always be relative to the person who has more, and fame is fleeting. While you may be rewarded with a large bonus or major recognition at certain times, most days consist of making a little forward progress without external reward. This is why identifying meaning and purpose in the process of your daily work is essential.
BOTTOM LINE:
Whenever possible, get your motivation from doing things that contribute to a collective good. Incentives based on group performance have been shown to boost innovation more than individual incentives. Instead of focusing solely on your own performance at work, find a way to gauge the performance of your team, be they marriage, children, grandchildren, church, SS class, small group, nephews, nieces, etc. Then put your energy into helping the recipient person/body achieve. Working toward a shared mission with other people will add a positive charge to each day.
NEXT UP:
What The World Needs in the Employment Sector