I had a boss who used to say...
If it was supposed to be fun, they wouldn’t call it work.
~Boss
Now that certainly sets an interesting tone. If work can’t be fun then it is…unpleasant? boring? dreadful?
Isn’t it better to figure out how to support our employees in having a great time as they work, feeling engaged and appreciative and proud of what they accomplished during the day?
Let’s face it…most of us want more from our work. Our job is no longer a means to an end, and we have moved beyond the basics of a paycheck to put food on the table and pay the rent. We recognize that happiness and fulfillment come from our ability to make meaningful contributions each day – personally and professionally.
We have had an awakening and actually aspire to do work that we love.
That frustration and dissatisfaction we feel at our job has a lot to do with the degree to which we are able to leverage our strengths, express ourselves and advance the greater good of the organization and the people in it.
Maybe you got into a job by default, it was something that came at the right time; maybe it was a great stepping stone that you have outgrown now and the pleasure and fulfillment has waned; maybe it was once a job you loved that just needs the right focus and attention to be able to start loving it again tomorrow. Whatever the scenario, it is time to take control and make the changes necessary to find the meaning, fulfillment and FUN in your work and your career that you deserve.
Here are a few steps you can take to move you in the right direction of moving away from a job and toward more meaning in your work:
Gain clarity on where your skills, talents and interests lie. Make a list of the things you love to do - what motivates you, what gives you energy. Think back to a time when you felt your best, what strengths were you leveraging? Give yourself a moment to picture yourself having fun at work. How are you contributing?
Creating this awareness today may help you find opportunities as soon as tomorrow to leverage these gifts and increase meaningful work in your day.
Put time constraints and money restrictions to the side and ask yourself - what would you do if time and money were not a concern? Don’t let thoughts like “What if”, “I can’t, because”, “I could, but”, creep in. Give yourself permission to follow your excitement. Expand your mind to possibility without fearful thoughts shutting you down.
Be confident in your abilities and listen to your heart, it knows the way.
Take action. Put together a plan to move into the career and life you want. Lay out the steps - some of them will be short-term objectives, some will take longer. Start small…tiny steps to start living your dream, like finding a mentor, taking a class, reading a book….whatever it is, just do it.
If you don’t take action, nothing happens.
I am fortunate I found work that is fueled by what I love most and these are basic steps I used and still put into practice today with my clients. These steps can help you do what you love and find meaning, fulfillment and FUN in your work.
Making a commitment to personal development and carving out time to explore where your excitement, passion, energy longs to take you is so worth it!
If you want to take a deeper dive into doing what you love, I can help.