Many people have been through the corridors of employment, but few have been there because they look forward to working every morning. What we don’t realize is the fact that the only time we will enjoy working is when we are doing what we are passionate about.
We all want to have that’s spring in our steps when we go to work because we can’t wait to get started. You want workdays to never end because you dread the two days that you will spend relaxing. You go as far as coming to work very early because you can’t wait to start your workday.
Sadly, that is not the case for most of us. You secretly hate your boss and co-workers or you are the last to arrive in the morning and the first to leave at 5 pm, or you are depressingly sad on Sundays. Well, you should realize that whatever you are doing is not the job for you.
Knowing that, how do you survive in an environment like that? You don’t have to. The secret to finding what you love is in doing soul searching because as Winston Churchill says if you ever get a job that you love, you will never work a day in your life. And, who doesn’t want to do what they are passionate about, none! This is how you go about finding a fulfilling job.
Surround yourself with people who love the work that you aspire to do. That way, you get to have firsthand experience of loving it too. Once you have done that, build on your networks. Attend seminars and workshop about your chosen field. There, you will find people in the field who you can interact with and learn more. Remember to also leave your contacts. You never know, one of them might call to offer you your dream job!
Work on your strengths and weaknesses. Improve on your strengths and learn how you can work around your weaknesses so that you are at par with the market you wish to enter. Fulfillment comes when we are better than we were before. If you aspire to be an editor, practice your editing to improve your skills.
Identify what you can do to improve the world. One question that interviewers commonly ask is what you can bring to the company that is not already there. Search yourself to see what you can do to make the world a better place. it is the sense of purpose that drives a lot of people into getting what they want. Once you can answer that question, you can help improve yourself too.
Identify your professional hero. Always have someone to look up to, someone you want to like ‘when you grow up’. After you do, read about her/him to know how he got to where they are.
Eliminate money from the equation. Of course, money matters. Money is the reason why work so hard. The more we get, the more want. But ask yourself, if money wasn’t in the equation, what would you be doing? That is where the passion comes in. If you make your passion your work, you will never go hungry. You will come up with ways to earn more from what you love.
Have a mentor. Have someone who is an expert in the chosen field and can guide you in the right direction. Reach out to them when you need advice and they can help you navigate in that web of gray.
Remember what you loved as a kid? As kids, we knew what we loved that we do now. Remember what you loved and the little pleasures that you enjoyed. What would you do every day? Singing other peoples’ ears off? Maybe you should consider being a singer. Did you love playing doctor and nurse and would cry if you found an injured dog? Your humility and love for rescuing damsels (and anything) in distress are all the qualities you need to become a nurse or a doctor.
You should endeavor to do what you love and once you find out what you love doing, work towards achieving what you have always wanted to do.