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According to a Gallup State of the Global Workplace survey of people in 142 countries, only 13% of people are engaged at work. That’s a tragedy. Many of us spend more hours working than we spend doing anything else, so shouldn’t we aspire to find and do work that we love? Shouldn’t we strive to do fulfilling work? How would the world be different if most people loved their work? Would we be more productive and innovative during our workdays? Would we live more fulfilling lives?
According to a Harris Poll, only 1/3 of Americans are very happy. If we did work that excited us, would we arrive home from work feeling happier? And if so, would we be better spouses and parents?
Millions of people succumb to the popular thought that “a job is just a job,” yet I encourage you to consider that work can be something you love. When you find and do work you love, you can shine. Doing work that excites you allows you to make your best contributions to the world.
Here are some ways to find and do work you love.
1. Discover who you are.
The more you understand who you are, the more you’ll be able to choose a career path that best suits you. When I struggled to choose my next steps during a major career decision, I took various personality tests to help me make my decision. I don’t recommend basing your entire career decision on one personality test. However, taking different tests and looking for trends among the results can be incredibly eye-opening and helpful. Some of my favorites are the Myers-Briggs test, Sally Hogshead’s website www.howtofascinate.com, and the Holland Code. Discovering my strengths through the book Strengths Finder 2.0 was also very helpful for me, and I highly recommend you read it if you haven’t.
2. Find what lights you up.
You can make a huge impact when you discover what lights you up and combine it with your innate strengths in a job that fits your personality well. Finding what lights you up might take a while, but it’s worth seeking. Here is an excellent workbook to help you find your passion. Discovering what lights you up can help you enjoy your life immensely.
3. Choose work that allows you to focus your life on your priorities.
I’m convinced that millions of people are dissatisfied with their lives because they choose careers and try to fit their lifestyle around their jobs. Instead, it can be beneficial to think about your priorities and ideal lifestyle and select work that does into your desired life. Choosing a career path that allows you to focus your energy on what matters most to you can significantly increase your life satisfaction.
4. Dare to blaze your trail.
If you’re feeling stir-crazy in your career, it might be time to shake things up. Consider this: a dolphin is a fantastic animal thrives in the ocean. Put the dolphin in a rainforest, however, and it will quickly die, even though the rainforest is a perfect environment for many other creatures. Does the fact that dolphins don’t do well in the rainforest mean that dolphins are big losers who should change themselves? Of course not. All it means is that the rainforest isn’t suitable for dolphins.
If you’re feeling frustrated and stifled at your job, it’s time to do some self-reflection. Even if your job is pretty decent and the people around you are enjoying it, that doesn’t mean it’s necessarily the best fit for you. It might be time to blaze your trail and design a career that suits you amazingly well.
5. Seek help.
It can be helpful to seek the assistance of a career counselor or a coach to help you choose the best career path. Having objective insight from someone not closely involved in your life might be what you need to have a breakthrough.
6. Build your tribe.
Build a tribe of encouraging, inspiring people in your life. As Jim Rohn said, “You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with.” Choose the people you hang out with wisely; they will significantly affect what you do with your life, and their support can help you do the work you love.
When you do work, you, love, life becomes much more awesome. Continue your quest to do the work you love. It can be a difficult journey to navigate but worth it.
