I read the statement in the headline in a Ted Talk a few weeks ago, and having reflected on it, I believe there’s a lot of truth to it. 

I just came back from visiting my family and closest friends in Denmark, and after having been in ‘lockdown’ in London for months now, it felt incredibly energising and meaningful to see all the people again who I care most about.

This overdue family reunion really highlighted the feeling that your life becomes meaningful when you are meaningful to other people.

Meaning is about connecting. It’s about switching your perspective and concentrating less on yourself, and more on being connected with others.

You can do this by helping, by sharing a special moment, or by connecting with someone who speaks to you on some level. 

When I got back to London I started thinking about how I could support you with some fresh insights, and I began reflecting on what this means in relation to your career.

I realized you can actually apply the same framework of

“meaningful connections = the experience of fulfilment and purpose” 

to your career, assuming you’re looking to make a change to something more fulfilling and meaningful than you’re doing at present. 

To start this process, ask yourself this question:

How can I connect with new people that would inspire me and help me take the steps in a new and better career direction?

This idea of connecting with new people who do interesting stuff, is something I’ve been recommending for a while, and the new insights are just adding more weight to why this is so powerful.

Often, when you feel desperate to make a career change (I remember this was the case when I made a major transition a few years ago), it’s easy to become stuck in this circle of thinking, analysing, being overwhelmed with options and then ending up doing nothing.

Does this pattern sound familiar?

The beautiful thing about reaching out to other people and listen to their story is that you shift your focus, from yourself, onto someone else. Doing this takes the pressure off, and it’s also incredibly powerful and rewarding in ways you couldn’t imagine before you started out.

Just like you feel better from sharing meaningful moments with loved ones, finding common ground with strangers also has the power to bring you closer towards roles, sectors and types of work that you would find meaningful.

When you meet or speak to someone new, ask yourself:

Do I want to be like him or her?

Can I be like him or her?

If you want to read a detailed guide on how you can connect with new and interesting people, then click here and read my article on Informational Interviews. 

When I went through my last major career transition where I considered coaching as a new career, this is exactly what I did. I emailed about 20 coaches, with all sorts of different specialities and from different countries. From this, I got at least 7-8 conversations, many of which lasted well beyond the 15 minutes I had asked for initially. These conversations took me on a huge learning journey, and really ignited my excitement for coaching. Despite having researched for weeks online, I got more out of one single conversation than from everything I had learned previously. 

Which brings me back full circle; if you’re craving new meaning in your life or career, a good place to start searching is with other people. 

I hope you have found some inspiration to fuel your search, and if I can help you with anything, please reach out.