Each day I am grateful that I spend my day doing something I love. I look forward to heading out the door knowing I will be learning new things and helping others. It was not always this way for me. I dreaded going into work each day. I would wish for the day I could spend more time with my young children who were one, two, and four. Suddenly, I got my wish to spend time at home with my children when the company I worked for was bought out by another company.
Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life. – Confucius
Though it was scary being without a steady income, I took the opportunity to open a licensed day care and take in other children. I was able to make money, spend time with my children, and do what I enjoyed doing, teaching others. I believe that was the beginning to my happiness and positive outlook. Since that first business that allowed me to stay home with my children, to my current consulting business, I have never looked back. Teaching children evolved to teaching adults and I am very happy doing it each day.
Over the course of our lifetime, we spend almost 12 years of our lives at work.
Some spend a little more, some spend a little less time at work, but we all spend a significant amount of time doing it. Taking this into consideration don’t you think we should spend these years doing something we love? Why should we only tolerate what we do, or down right hate going to work each day? Feeling unfulfilled and unhappy in what we do for our jobs does not lead to happiness or success.
Do you believe you’re stuck in a job you hate? Stop right there. It is important not to think this way. Negative thinking will only bring you more unhappiness in your job and in your life. Instead, think about what you do like about the job you have. Think about learning more about the aspect of your job that you do love. Become passionate about that aspect of your job and you will find heading off to work is not so terrible. You may still not want to stay in that position or work at that company, but while you are there, learn as much as you can so when the time comes for you to move on, you will have valuable skills to take with you.
When we are working at something we love to do, we have a higher success rate and have a higher probability of earning more money in our career.
Why do people earn more when they are happy, you may ask? Because people who are happier and doing something they love to do, put more effort into their work, seek out ways to learn more about what they do, and often become an expert in their field.
Don’t confuse believing the more money you earn, the happier you will be. Or, don’t think once you earn enough money, all your problems will disappear and then you will be able to pursue your true passion. Unfortunately, choosing a career because you can make lots of money will not allow you to spend time doing what you love. You will only be earning a lot of money while waiting for the day you can do what you really want to do.
If you are one of the lucky ones that chose a career because of money and you found you love it, great! However, if you are working at a job you don’t totally love, you should still continue to enjoy your personal time doing what you do love. Your passion may be hiking, biking, reading, cooking, blogging, writing, automotive repair, or gardening. Whatever it is, throw yourself whole heartedly into it. Take a part-time job doing what you love, or do what you love for free.
The more involved you become the more knowledge you will gain, to the point you will be an authority and be able to teach or sell what you know.
Having a career in what you love will not only make you a happier person, you will be more productive with what you do. Productivity increases when you look forward to going to work and doing something you love. You are eager to learn, can anticipate problems, and have a sense of pride knowing you are successful when challenges arise.
Being excited about what you do can motivate others as well. Someone who loves what they do is not complaining or talking negatively. Be an inspiration for others to follow your lead and they will become inspired to find careers they are passionate about too.
Related: 3 Steps To Successful Goal Setting
Take the time to plan how you can incorporate what you love to do into each day or each week. It may seem strange to plan out something you love doing, though in reality you are planning how to move into a career that you love. Wishing and hoping will not get you out of a job that is not right for you, but planning and goal setting will. Take the time to write down your lofty goals and strive a little each day to reach them.
One may walk over the highest mountain one step at a time. – John Wanamaker
What we do can have long-lasting effects on ourselves and our children. Do we want them to know it is OK being unhappy at our life’s work? We are role models showing positivity, freedom, and passion about what we do. Tell us how you worked toward doing what you love and are an inspiration to others.
Hi, I’m Karen. Welcome to my website! I will show you how to establish the framework for an organized and successful leadership and office management system.
