What Will You Accomplish at Work Today?
Answering the question, "What will you accomplish at work today?," can depend on the sort of work you do, as well as whether you like the work you do. But no matter, given that "accomplishment" means something that has been achieved successfully, even in the worst case, you're going to get a shot at accomplishing something on any given day.
For example, no matter the job, your boss likely has certain expectations which, ideally, he or she has clearly indicated to you. You'd do well for your company and for yourself to meet those expectations. Naturally, when your work is particularly satisfying, you'll eagerly look forward to accomplishing as much as possible. But even when the job is kind of boring, or uninspiring, we're naturally in a better state of mind when, after a day's work, we feel that we've accomplished something - anything. It's just the way we're made.
This natural inclination to accomplish something drives most of us in our daily work. Unless we're half-dead, just going through the motions doesn't satisfy. A bit of ambition serves us well.
But let's think about this a bit. Whom does our desire for accomplishment really serve? We're looking at this from a Catholic perspective now. So who is it?...Time's up. It's US, right? US as opposed to God.
Now, it's not like we're saying that our desire to accomplish something is somehow wrong or disordered. But anything that feeds our selfishness can't be good in the end, right? Our spiritual well-being calls on us to reject anything self-centered. We don't grow closer to God by satisfying our selfish inclinations. It's only commons sense, isn't it?
But more than just common sense, it's critical that we take this to heart, especially for those of us driven to succeed in some way in our earthly endeavors. When we step up and strive to succeed, we can easily get caught up in a kind of self-centered whirlwind. We seek to accomplish worldly objectives, and relish in the satisfaction of having done so. Our business or our career becomes the overriding obsession of our daily lives. It gets to the point where we simply don't desire to or care about sanctifying our work by performing our tasks lovingly for the greater glory of God. All we focus on are the results that lead us to accomplish our objectives.
If you've ever been or are even now caught up in this whirlwind, read carefully these words of St. James:
For example, no matter the job, your boss likely has certain expectations which, ideally, he or she has clearly indicated to you. You'd do well for your company and for yourself to meet those expectations. Naturally, when your work is particularly satisfying, you'll eagerly look forward to accomplishing as much as possible. But even when the job is kind of boring, or uninspiring, we're naturally in a better state of mind when, after a day's work, we feel that we've accomplished something - anything. It's just the way we're made.
This natural inclination to accomplish something drives most of us in our daily work. Unless we're half-dead, just going through the motions doesn't satisfy. A bit of ambition serves us well.
But let's think about this a bit. Whom does our desire for accomplishment really serve? We're looking at this from a Catholic perspective now. So who is it?...Time's up. It's US, right? US as opposed to God.
Now, it's not like we're saying that our desire to accomplish something is somehow wrong or disordered. But anything that feeds our selfishness can't be good in the end, right? Our spiritual well-being calls on us to reject anything self-centered. We don't grow closer to God by satisfying our selfish inclinations. It's only commons sense, isn't it?
But more than just common sense, it's critical that we take this to heart, especially for those of us driven to succeed in some way in our earthly endeavors. When we step up and strive to succeed, we can easily get caught up in a kind of self-centered whirlwind. We seek to accomplish worldly objectives, and relish in the satisfaction of having done so. Our business or our career becomes the overriding obsession of our daily lives. It gets to the point where we simply don't desire to or care about sanctifying our work by performing our tasks lovingly for the greater glory of God. All we focus on are the results that lead us to accomplish our objectives.
If you've ever been or are even now caught up in this whirlwind, read carefully these words of St. James:
Behold, now you that say: Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and there we will spend a year, and will traffic, and make our gain. [14] Whereas you know not what shall be on the morrow. [15] For what is your life? It is a vapour which appeareth for a little while, and afterwards shall vanish away. For that you should say: If the Lord will, and if we shall live, we will do this or that. (Epistle of St James, 4:13-15)Lay aside your master plan, your drive to success, your need for accomplishment and meditate on this for a while, especially the stark description your life as "a vapour which appeareth for a little while, and afterwards shall vanish away." Let the reality of this sink in, deep into your soul. When you get back to work, remind yourself: "If the Lord will, and if we shall live, we will do this or that." Puts your accomplishments in a whole different light, doesn't it?
Comments