Understanding professional self-actualization

The humanist psychologist Abraham Maslow postulated in the 40s the idea that all human beings focus their lives on satisfying certain needs linked to the personal development and the process of giving meaning to one's life, although in many cases they must first focus on more short-term goals linked to health, hygiene and security.

Once these basic needs have been covered, according to Maslow, our way of thinking naturally leads us to want to carry out those exciting projects.

This functioning is common to all people, and in addition to the interpersonal and social sphere, work currently plays a fundamental role in this kind of experience. After all, we spend many hours a week devoting ourselves to paid work, and it makes no sense to separate this field from the rest of life. If we feel that we are wasting time in our job, we will hardly experience personal development. That is why In this article we will explore the concept of "professional self-realization".

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What is professional self-realization?

The concept of "self-realization" refers to the experience of satisfying the highest and most abstract needs, those that allow us to feel good not only about ourselves, but also about our lives and what we do in general. Consists in connect our life project with a vital meaning, something that corresponds to our values ​​and interests most deeply rooted in our Self.

Professional self-realization is, then, the process by which workers achieve satisfaction with themselves and with their work. working life through what they do in the work context, achieving the objectives set and obtaining a fair recognition.

To achieve this self-realization it is necessary that there be in our daily work a series of motivators that generate well-being in the workplace, that make us feel good about ourselves and make us be perceived as valuable workers not just for a specific company, but for society in general.

These motivators are related to a series of essential axes that, united all of them and feeding each other, will allow us to find this general satisfaction at work.

Next we will briefly see the main elements that characterize self-realization professional and the implications that these have in people's lives both on a personal and professional level. labor.

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What are the essential elements that characterize professional self-realization?

Throughout our lives, people can go through different jobs. Some will be more in line with our long-term goals and others may be less so.

All jobs can have positive or negative aspects, the important thing is to identify those elements of each job that can benefit us the most in the future, always having a long-term vision of our future.

To correctly analyze whether a particular job is the most convenient for us, we must take into account what are theThe main axes that define professional self-realization, a final objective that all workers should keep in mind.

These are the main vectors with which self-realization at work can be achieved; each of them plays a fundamental role in achieving this objective.

1. Satisfaction/Growth

Satisfaction with the work done and the personal and professional growth that one acquires during the process are essential to achieve self-realization.

this satisfaction it has to do with doing a job that we like, with feeling positively valued, with living intense and enriching experiences and also with feeling that we are an important part of the scheme of the company or organization of which we are a part.

In addition, the satisfaction it is related to the fact of enjoying most of the hours in which we are working, that is, to do a job that fills us up.

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2. Economic remuneration

Although talk about the importance of economic remuneration is often avoided, the truth is that it is a fundamental part of motivating workers around the world.

It is one of the engines that push each employee to give the best of themselves during their working day and constitutes a real and tangible motivation, since It is related to the satisfaction of a wide variety of physical and psychological needs..

With the money earned from the work done, workers can access all kinds of goods and services that allow them to live better and happier, as well as allow them to make gifts or leisure trips for rest.

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3. Time

In any paid job, the time we have to rest between working days is essential for the mental and physical health of the worker.

It is of no use to us to have a job that satisfies us and whose economic remuneration is generous If we don't have time to rest then during the week doing those activities that we like the most.

The ideal job should be able to enjoy family and friends during the week and also allow us to spend personal time enjoying our hobbies or simply relaxing at home.

Professional self-realization is based on balance

That is why to achieve professional self-realization it is necessary to find a perfect balance between the axes Satisfaction, Money and Time.

In other words, the perfect job will be the one that allows us to have equal parts of each of these three axes in a proportional way: That allows us to have significant experiences that make us grow and that allows us to have a good salary and time to enjoy it.

While it is true that this may be one of the ways to achieve professional self-realization, some people may value money or free time above all else, since not all of us are the same nor do we conceive of life in the same way.