One thing that drains my energy is when I spend too much time on things I feel I have to do but don’t find meaningful. I understand that certain things need to get done. A difficult project at work, a chore at home.

But when I have to stretch myself too thin, it can start to feel like my life revolves around waking up and sitting behind a conveyor belt that’s going at a pace I can hardly keep up with.

When what I do doesn’t seem to matter much I lose that sense of stillness.

What makes a real difference to me though is having enough time to spend on things I find meaningful. That ranges from living at a sustainable pace to having deep conversations with people I care about, and learning new things.

There’s this quote by Friedrich Nietzsche that resonated with me: “He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.”

If you’re feeling drained, burned out even, it might be a good idea to explore if you spend enough time on things you (deeply) value. If you can find that in your job, that’s great. For many of us though, that’s not the case.

Your job helps pay the bills, and perhaps lets you develop valuable skills and grow as person, but it doesn’t necessarily feel very meaningful.

And that's okay.

What matters more is that there’s something in your life that gives you a sense of purpose. Whether that’s spirituality, raising a family, volunteering, training a kids’ sports team, there are so many options!

Are you doing things you value?