Enjoy Your Work

Courtesy Flickr Creative Commons

Do you enjoy your work or are you the person that counts down the minutes until you can leave and go home each day? Are you waiting for the moment when you can retire? Do you see work as a grind?

The majority of your waking hours are spent at work. If you get no satisfaction out of what you do each day, you need to either reframe your situation, or change what you’re doing. I know this is easy to say and difficult to implement, but it begins with a decision. You can choose to continue with a work life you don’t enjoy or you can begin to explore other options that can help you enjoy your work.

The first step is to get clear about what you want. Start with your experience. Is there an aspect of your current job or industry that you enjoy? Finding an area related to what you are currently doing has benefits. You already have experience here, and your value is probably greater in this area because of that experience. Perhaps there is another opportunity within your company or a different niche in your business that you could evaluate.

If your interest lies completely away from what you are currently doing, is there value you could bring to this area of interest? Could you get paid enough to maintain a lifestyle that is acceptable to you? If it would require a building period or an investment, do you have the financial means to make the investment and to sustain yourself?

So often people make the decision to leave the stability of steady paycheck to go off and pursue their passion. While I respect the courage it takes to do this, there may be other alternatives. Could you take the time you have away from your job to build on your skill set, start a business, or move your career in a more desirable direction? Rather than spending leisure time in front of the TV or computer, choose to dedicate that time towards your pursuit.

I typically work well over 60-hour weeks but I have managed to write a book, post 50 blogs a year, and record five podcasts per week. I did this by reprioritizing my leisure time. I watch very little TV and devote my computer time to research related to my passion of helping people to get where they want to go in life. I have the added benefit of getting myself in a position to develop people in my role for my firm, so my research helps me in that capacity as well.

The point is, none of this happened overnight. It began with a decision, followed by intense focus and discipline. I created a new skill set then directed my life toward that desire. I was able to do it without the financial sacrifice of quitting a job and putting my family at risk.

Take time to reflect on your own situation. Do you enjoy your work? If not, decide what would bring you greater happiness. Dedicate the time you need to build the necessary skill set. See if there are opportunities within your current organization or industry to pursue your passion. If not, use your time away from work to lay the foundation for the next chapter of your life. When the time is right, make your move.