Rebuilding Rob

I know the ideal answer to this question is that the hard work is it’s own fulfillment – an idea perhaps best stated in the Arthur Conan Doyle quote shown below. But the reality is that we don’t live in an ideal world. Most of us imperfect humans need some kind of tangible results of our hard work.

I know that I’m not alone. Because if I was, people would never ask for raises at their jobs. In fact, most people would probably not even seek pay for their work. They would volunteer. If work truly was it’s own reward, everyone would volunteer for everything. We’re just not there as a species.

This is really low hanging fruit, but I feel fulfilled by hard work when it yields some concrete results; something I can see, hear, taste, touch or smell as an end product.

If I’m given a task at work, or something around the house: setting up my classroom, yard work, cleaning a room or the garage; I feel fulfilled I’d I can look at the area afterward and see the end product.

Exercise/working is on activity where the rewards can be both internal and external. when I work out, I have more energy. It increases my metabolism. When i get into a regular workout routine, I find myself almost subconsciously avoiding certain foods. The end result of all this is that I begin to lose weight. When people start to notice. That’s where the external recognition comes in.

This will sound a little silly, and I’m kind of embarrassed to admit it, but when I do clean a room, or build some thing, or even finish working out, I like to look at my results. I’d like to see the end product.

Professionally, I work hard as well. I’m a school teacher, and as most people know. There’s isn’t a lot money to be made in my line of work. It is definitely a job of intrinsic rewards. Having that “aha moment” where I see a student finally understand the new concept is a rewarded, and of itself. Also, and this one sometimes takes many years to experience, but I’m running into a former student who shares memories of being in my class, is also truly rewarding. i’m not going to pretend that my paycheck isn’t rewarding; but there really is no substitute for that feeling of knowing that you made an impression on a young person’s life.

There’s a reason that the expression “nothing good comes easy” has become cliché. We hear it a lot, but it is often true. But at the end of the day, we all have to find our own rewards, our own motivations; something that we decide is important enough to make the hard work worthwhile

In what ways does hard work make you feel fulfilled?

Thanks for stopping by Rebuilding Rob. Be sure to like, comment and subscribe to my blog below. It’s greatly appreciated! Also, feel free to follow me on social media as well! Check out my most recent posts as well as some earlier, related posts:

• My Baseball Kryptonite
• The Boy Who Looked at His Feet
• Even White People Get Ashy
• The Tricorder in My Pocket
• Challenger 40: The Generational Echo

The article “How Hard Work Makes Me Feel Fulfilled” first appeared on Rebuilding Rob.