(New) When you make your purpose in life your profession

January 6, 2025
by Noriyuki Morimoto

Each person has various aspects of self. The self as a member of a family, the self as an active member of a local community, the self as a member of school alumni, the self as a regular customer at a familiar pub, the self as a member of a hobby club, the self as a member of the global community that tackles environmental issues, etc., are all important aspects of oneself.

When asked what we are, we usually answer with our source of income or area of expertise. But setting aside such factors, there should be an original, true self, an identity that one deems worth calling oneself by.

Through the working-style reform, company employees will gain more diverse sources of income. If it becomes mainstream to work multiple jobs, not only will there be more people who work for multiple companies, but also those who earn income outside of corporate employment. In that case, how should such a person determine their primary profession?

Should one’s main profession be defined as the job that brings in the largest portion of income? Or should it be defined by the largest amount of time spent, or rather the amount of intellectual activity rather than time, given that length of time is not correlated with the amount of intellectual input? Or should it be defined as the work that provides the most fulfillment, as the most important thing for a person would be the excitement and joy derived from work?

In the past, during the Showa period of economic growth, working as a company employee was both a source of income and a fulfilling way of life. This harmony drove economic growth. Nowadays, when people work with a sense of fulfillment in their lives and, as a result, generate income from that fulfillment, a new form of economic growth is likely to be seen.

 

[Category /Work-Style Reform]