In the quest for a fulfilling and satisfying working life, motivation at work plays a crucial role. However, defining and understanding the levers of our motivation is not always an easy task. It's essential to gain clarity in order to distinguish between what intrinsically makes sense and what specifically resonates with us. This subtle distinction can guide our professional choices. By becoming aware of our responsibility for our professional fulfillment, we can use this clarity as a lever to define our goals and aspirations. In this article, we'll explore the importance of this alignment between our personal values and our professional activities, how to identify the areas where we wish to apply our skills, and how to make informed decisions when making crucial professional choices.

1. Find your "why

Defining what makes sense to you

Defining what is meaningful to us involves deep introspection to identify what inspires and motivates us. This can manifest itself through what makes us feel enthusiastic and ready to take on challenges every day: whether it's "recruiting the right people for the right jobs", "promoting products that are good for the planet", "helping my customers drive their business", or "supporting the digital transformation of my sector". It also includes the contribution we wish to make in our professional environment: whether it's "transmitting", "informing", "innovating", "inventing", "parameterizing", "designing" or "calculating". This personal definition of meaning is the foundation on which we can build a career aligned with our deepest values and aspirations. Identifying our interest in each specific subject and the quality we wish to bring to our work are essential elements for lasting fulfillment in our work.

Overcoming myths

Myth 1: "We only have one why".

This myth assumes that our motivation comes down to a single goal. In reality, we may have several underlying reasons that inspire us. For example, our motivation may be twofold, aiming to "support the growth of innovative companies" while at the same time seeking to "challenge ourselves".

Myth 2: "You have one for life".

Contrary to this belief, our purpose can evolve over time, influenced by personal events such as family changes or societal evolutions. Our priorities and aspirations can change, and our why with them.

Myth 4: "A why is a philosophical-esoteric thing".

Contrary to this preconceived idea, our raison d'être manifests itself in our day-to-day lives, in the way we actually carry out our work. It guides our actions and decisions, and shapes our professional and personal lives from day to day.

2. Identify its "meaning

A good practice for determining what is meaningful in our professional sphere is to reflect on our past and present experiences.

Step 1 - Identify what is meaningful to you today (and in the past) :

It's essential to remember the times when we felt useful, aligned and fully engaged in an activity. What were the situations when our motivation was at its peak? What were our aspirations and the contributions we wanted to make at those moments? By identifying these moments of full involvement, we can determine the motivating factors that spurred us on in our professional projects.

Step 2 - Identify what doesn't make sense to me (today and in the past) :

Likewise, it's important to identify the moments when we felt our time was being wasted, when we lost ourselves in tasks we didn't really enjoy. What were the telltale signs of this? What thoughts or feelings emerged when we found ourselves in these circumstances? This reflection helps us to understand the aspects of our work that don't motivate us, and to avoid them in the future.

Step 3 - Transferring this reflection to our personal sphere :

Finally, it's beneficial to replicate this process in our personal lives. What areas of our lives do we feel most fulfilled and aligned with? What activities or commitments bring us the most satisfaction and meaning? By exploring these aspects, we can better understand what motivates and drives us both professionally and personally. This introspection enables us to identify the areas in which we wish to invest more of our time and energy, whether in our training, our professional projects or our interactions with our colleagues.

3. Talking about it 

To be ready to communicate effectively about our raison d'être, it's essential to prepare in advance.

Preparing to talk about it :

The first step is to formalize our raison d'être in two or three key phrases, so as to make it easily communicable and understandable. The simpler we can express it, the greater its impact. For example, this could take the form of statements such as "improving processes to save time", "inventing zero-waste nutrition" or "developing teams". This approach enables us to highlight the motivating factors that guide our day-to-day actions, and to communicate them clearly and concisely.

Articulate your why around action verbs:

It's also important to articulate our raison d'être around action verbs that answer the question: what do we want to put our energy into? This can be translated into tangible actions such as "support", "create", "improve" or "inspire". By highlighting these action verbs, we clarify our intention and our commitment to act in line with our raison d'être. This articulation also gives us a clear direction for our career development, enabling us to seek out opportunities that offer us the autonomy to put our purpose into practice and be rewarded for our efforts.

4. Use it throughout your career 

Understanding what is meaningful to us is a crucial step in cultivating a fulfilling career aligned with our values. But how can we integrate this knowledge throughout our career path? Here are a few tips on how:

• Identify aligned missions: Start by examining your current tasks and responsibilities. Identify those that best align with your raison d'être. What interests you most? What activities allow you to showcase your personal and professional qualities? Once you've identified these areas, focus on developing them further in your current role.
• Strengthen your expertise in these areas: Once you've identified the aspects of your work that are meaningful to you, invest time and energy in developing yourself in these areas. Take the initiative to acquire new skills, attend relevant training courses or participate in projects that will enable you to develop your expertise in these specific areas.
• Seek opportunities for growth: Explore career opportunities that offer a closer alignment with your raison d'être. Identify the positions or fields of activity that best match your values and career aspirations. Don't hesitate to ask colleagues, mentors or your professional network about these opportunities.
• Create a professional development plan : Draw up a professional development plan that takes into account your career goals and what makes sense for you. Identify the steps needed to reach these goals, including skills to acquire, training to take and growth opportunities to pursue. By actively engaging in this process, you can give yourself the means to progress towards a career that reflects your values and leads you to professional success.

By following these steps, you can gradually shape your career so that it's more aligned with your raison d'être. By cultivating a work environment that reflects your values and aspirations, you'll be able to thrive throughout your career. By integrating your passions and interests into your work, you can not only increase your well-being at work, but also strengthen your commitment and motivation. It will also help you succeed in your career. 

If you want to go further, discover the NUMA training program Analyze your motivational levers.