It is no impossible quest to be able to say: “I am a labor of love”
If you look forward to Monday mornings like a man on death row looks forward to the guillotine, it’s time to rethink your life.
So many people dislike what they do that it’s easy to believe that hating your job is a part of life – it doesn’t have to be.
But don’t head for the boss’ office with your resignation letter just yet. If you want to have a job that you love, you need to know how to find work that makes your heart sing. Susan Cain, author of QUIET: The Power of Introverts In A World That Can’t Stop Talking gives 5 tips on how to do just that.
Pay attention to what you envy.
Jealousy isn’t a comfortable emotion but it’ll shed light on what you truly desire. Think about your friends and relatives and the jobs they hold. If you’re jealous of any of them, that’s a guide to what you really want to do.
Ask yourself what you loved as a child
If you wanted to be a policeman or a dancer, try and interpret the meaning behind that ambition. Did you want to fight for justice or perhaps your real reason for wanting to be a dancer was because you love applause or being in the limelight. Your childhood self was probably more in touch with the real you than your adult self is so it makes good sense to think back and remember.
Focus on the kind of work you gravitate to.
You may loathe being an IT specialist but maybe you love interacting with the people who come to you to solve their computer problems. That’s a real clue that instead of being chained to a computer, you’d be much better off organizing events.
Find out what makes you cry.
Susan Cain talks about Steve Pavlina’s method of discovering what truly speaks to your soul. Sit down with a blank sheet of paper and ask yourself what your life purpose is. Keep writing the answers until you get to one that makes you tear up or start bawling. When you do, you’ve definitely arrived at the right answer.
Find middle ground.
What if the thing that makes you happy is to be a published novelist but you haven’t written a word since secondary school? If you have a family to support, bills to pay and a life to live, it might be a bad idea to ditch your dull job and leap into writing. Instead, go for the middle ground. Take classes that will help you hone your writing skills on weekends. Read more. Try getting yourself published online (like on VenusBuzz – we’re always on the lookout for raw talent!) but keep your day job. Once the world discovers you’re the next J.K Rowling – you can really start living your dream!
Image courtesy of getentrepreneurial.com
Related Posts
No related posts.
