Do you love your job?
It is a fact that most people don’t love their work; they still go to work because it gives them their bread and butter. They crib, they detest many aspects of their job; their boss, their colleagues, the work atmosphere and lack of perks. On the other hand, many like their job – while some tolerate it, but a small segment of people whom we can count in a minority find their work very interesting also it supports their lifestyle. They look forward to going to work each day, and they brim with positivity. We become truly successful and contented with our work when we are given chance to apply our strengths and passions optimally, aren’t we?
Does that mean these happy people have the perfect fit? Why do they enjoy what they do? Why are they passionate about their work? And if you look at their job profiles, someone is doing data entry, someone is writing books of accounts, someone is noting inward-outward entries, someone is doing research, someone is each day out doing salesman’s job, someone is receiving people at the entrance, someone is stitching clothes, someone is cooking for guests day in and day out, someone is tiding the garden. Is there a perfect job and a perfect organization? No. I think, it is critical to distinguish between the job and the way you do it. This is important because every job has characteristics that can be loved and disliked. There are many aspects of the job which you’ll find unpleasant. But, if you chose, you will be able to get through them with a smile on your face.
So if you think your boss doesn’t appreciate you, you are underpaid, your company isn’t ideal, you overworked, your peers aren’t decently educated etc, remember they aren’t the key evaluators in your life. You are the key evaluator of your life. Do your job well for your satisfaction, even if you don’t like your specific work, or the work environment you are in, you can love the way you do it.
Do pat your back at least once a day, may be at the end of every day. Chances are, you may discover, as you focus on doing it better, that some of the irritations of your job become more rewarding, or at least less lousy. Years back, when I had to travel on my scooter selling diagnostic products to doctors, and later when I changed job still travelling on my scooter selling courier services to corporate, I eventually grew to like sales, because it gave me a glimpse of buyer behavior, it gave me a chance to improve my communication, it automatically boosted my confidence after each successful sale. I had to put my best foot forward for each sales call. Today, when I look back at my sales career spanning over 20 years, let me tell you, I feel fortunate for I created a job which I loved doing. And, since past fifteen years I am working as a Professor of Marketing, I enjoy my work all the more, because I have practical experience of selling and marketing. I can easily explain the cliché concepts. I would have not been successful as a teacher without my previous work experiences.
No matter what kind of job, engagement or career you are into, there are bound to be times when you are just not loving it or enjoying it. Maybe, you are just experiencing a creative dry spell, hence nothing feels exciting. But things still need to get done. Does quitting solve your problem? Do you want to switch to a totally different career and start over? I think you need to give yourself some time, talk to few experienced people, and take the call. These are a few of your options, certainly. But maybe not the best ones.
Friends, you can find satisfaction in your work. Doing so is very valuable to your life in many ways, including greatly increasing your earnings, increasing your learning curve and gratification of some of your career objectives. Many times we are afraid of being stuck in the same job for life. Don’t worry. I have seen individuals who highlight the positive and rewarding aspects of their job, don’t stay in unpleasant jobs that long. They get promoted or use their positive record to get a more fulfilling job. Another factor of life is we need to love life to fully benefit from it. But which parts of our lives generate that fervor varies from person to person. Someone who is passionate about his/her job may be having problems in his/her family life or must be having some other problems in personal life. It depends other than your job, what is your passion in life? Do you love to learn, or teach, or write? Are you passionate about cooking, sports, buying cars, branded clothes, watches, do you enjoy watching first day first show of movies? Do you have a wonderful friends, a lover, or a family that you admire? If so, you need to be congratulated for discovering some of life’s great turn-ons for you!!
Remember, if you are happy in life, you will enjoy doing your job. You need to balance your work and life both. This is not hard to do. Commit to enjoying life regularly, celebrate small, small achievements of yours, play some games, buy gifts for your family, your friends, visit florist, greeting cards shop, listen to the radio, watch some nice television programs, add colors to your regular monotonous life. Don’t get entangled in a job that makes you miserable and find all your joys elsewhere. But remember, while you are searching for that perfect job, enjoy the way you are doing your present one, and keep celebrating and expanding all the other joys of life that surround you.
Focus on the bright spots in your life. Start finding a way of working that suits your natural strengths and energy. When you are working in a role that places demands on your natural strengths and you are working on things that give you energy, it feels great. After all, the lines between working life and personal life become blur because a job is as much about personal fulfillment and growth, as much as your paycheck.
