The Gift of Purpose
December has a way of slowing all of us down, at least mentally. The year begins to close, the new year is approaching, and suddenly we’re surrounded by reminders to give, to reflect and to appreciate what we have. In the middle of all that, I have found myself thinking less about gifts in the traditional sense and more about something else entirely. Purpose. Specifically, whether the work we do gives us that feeling we so often associate with the season of giving.
Working at We Connect The Dots has given me a lot to reflect on. I won’t pretend it’s always easy. We’re a small team, and when we launch programs, the workload doesn’t just increase – it multiplies. There are moments where the pressure is real, the days feel long and where I’m genuinely exhausted. When programs overlap, when deadlines pile up, it can quickly get overwhelming. That’s the reality of mission driven work, especially in a non profit space. But something interesting happens every single time we reach the end of a program.
Even when I'm tired, I don’t feel drained in the same way I’ve felt in other jobs. Instead, I feel this sudden wave of energy and excitement. Not because the program has ended, not because the work stopped, but because I can step back and see the impact we just made.
I have personally taught and watched UpSkill students who had never worked with Microsoft tools before leave our short program with a PL-900 certification. Students who once doubted themselves leave speaking with confidence about concepts and technology they before found intimidating. Even if they decide not to pursue technology as a field, they leave with new problem solving and self-management skills. Just this past weekend, we wrapped up a Hack-A-Thon where high school age students created websites that were not only functional, but beautiful. They did all this in only two weekends! In those moments, it feels like you’re getting a glimpse of the future and realizing that you had a hand in helping to shape it. The feeling is hard to describe, but you know it when you experience it. It’s a rejuvenating joy that cuts through anything. The kind that reminds you why the work matters, and that is where I want to pause and speak to you directly.
So often, we get caught in a monotonous cycle of working. One day turns into another, and the next thing you know years have passed and you’re somewhere you don’t really like, doing work that doesn't really excite you, doesn’t challenge you, doesn't give anything back. We normalize burnout. We tell ourselves that being tired is just part of adulthood, but we sometimes forget to ask an important question: Is this giving me anything in return? Because a job doesn’t just take your time. It takes your energy, your creativity, and sometimes even your sense of self. And while not everyday has to feel magical, the work you do should give you something. A sense of growth or meaning, a reason to care. For me, working at We Connect The Dots has been that gift. It has shown me that purpose doesn’t mean the absence of hard work, that it feels easy. It just means that the hard work feels worth it. It means that even when you’re stretched thin you can still feel full.
So in this season of giving, I encourage you to take a moment and reflect. Not on what it is that you’re giving to your job – but on what it is that your job is giving back to you. Because when your work aligns with purpose, that is the feeling that will keep you going.