A Successful Career Is Loving What You Do
I have still been thinking about our LOVE/HATE relationship with our careers from my last blog, so I asked some unemployed and employed folks what their relationship was with their careers to see if there is a difference. Those who are unemployed seem to be happier than those who are not—this does not mean that they aren’t frustrated, but they are free to now become who and what they have dreamed about, start over, or do something completely new. Those who are unemployed are finding creative ways to reinvent themselves, to make money, to use their resources and are trying new things based on what is available in this ever changing economy.
Most employed Americans are dissatisfied with their jobs, and even for those that like or love their jobs, they want to do something different or get more out of what they do. As part of the trend, the largest number of people who feel this way are women, since we make up 51% of the workforce and are taking risks and making drastic career moves.It is easy to dream about what we would LOVE to do and hard to let go of what we HATE doing now, but this struggle is necessary to be able to eventually make a change and take a leap of faith when it is right for you. As someone who has been in various industries and positions and contracts…I have often found that what I LOVE most is the learning that each new role requires and being scared and challenged, because there are always new things you need to learn. It doesn’t matter if you are an entrepreneur, employee or consultant—none of us know everything and it is the learning curve which keeps work exciting. Once it is gone and you can do your “work” with your eyes closed…it is time to reinvent your work, add something to your list of responsibilities, go after a higher position, change departments, or start planning your entrepreneurial venture.
It is hard to give up the PIS (Primary Income Source), with a paycheck every two weeks, health insurance, regular things to do each day, and a routine. It is often easier for people to start trying new things on a project-to-project basis, take a class, or look for a creative outlet to help you find more balance in your work life. Take your time to figure out where you want to leap to next, what you want to do and how you are going to make the change in your career and lifestyle. I have colleagues who have left being in civil service to owning a restaurant, left corporate America to own a store, and another who worked in engineering and left to become an author. They ALL liked what they did initially, but now they LOVE their new careers and the lives they live. The biggest part of being successful is being happy. It doesn’t matter how much you work when you LOVE what you do, it doesn’t feel like work and when you get paid for what you LOVE it is a BONUS.
Ready to try a new career? What has been your career journey? What is it that you LOVE to do and would LOVE to
do each day and get paid for it? Where are you working? What are you wearing? Who are your customers or clients? Do you work alone or with other people on your staff? The time is now to continue to set your goals (which are DREAMS with deadlines) and think about where you want to go, what it will take to get you there and what might be the barriers.
