You can always tell a person who likes their job apart from someone who doesn’t. People that see their nine to five as just a job say things like, “I’ve got a case of the Monday’s” and “TGIF!”
People who see their job as just a job are doomed. They think of their jobs as something they just have to get through till the weekend when their real life plays out. Workers who adopt this type of negative attitude are destined to be held back in their careers. These types usually have problems advancing higher in the workforce and are constantly wondering how to beat the rat race.
Why are these people doomed? Because they do not like what they do. They work for a company they don’t care about, for a boss they don’t like, completing tasks that don’t give them pleasure. All the while hoping that their minimal effort will be enough to grant them a coveted promotion and a bump up in salary-thinking that then they will finally be happy.
This is probably why the motivation industry is a $5 billion a year industry, and that’s just U.S. sales. Motivational speakers like Tony Robbins and Dr. Phil typically earn $100,000 to $200,000 a day to give speeches and inspire individuals.
These feelings of dread creep in faithfully every Sunday evening and last through till Friday. If people would simply be honest with themselves about what they like and don’t like to do they could avoid these negative feelings.
Are you doing what you love? If you found out you only had 3 more years to live what would you do? Would you continue working at your current job or pursue something else? If you won the lottery and didn’t have to work anymore but wanted to, what career path would you choose?
Studies have shown that the things people enjoyed doing between the ages of 7 and 14 are the same things they still enjoyed doing in adult hood.
What type of things did you enjoy as a child? Did you enjoy building skyscrapers with Lego’s or putting together toy cars? Then you might enjoy being an architect or automotive engineer. Did you enjoy writing stories and putting on plays for the kids in the neighborhood? Then maybe you’d enjoy being a writer or director.
As a child my cousin Ralph only ever wanted to sit at the edge of the dock and fish all day long. At family gathering all of the cousins would fish but tire of it after only an hour or so and return to the yard to play other games-except for Ralph. He’d sit there all day, at least till supper was ready. As a teenager Ralph got a job cleaning boats on the weekends. Now as an adult he is the captain of a charter fishing vessel that takes tourists out to catch large fish. He never has a case of the Mondays and says he feels like he’s never worked a day in his life. He enjoys what he does and has always done what he loved to do from the time he was a boy.
What To Do If You Don’t Know What To Do
If you realize that your current job is not what you want to be doing for the next couple of decades then there are some easy ways to figure out what you DO WANT to do.
To get the biggest insight into a new career path ask your friends and family what career they think you would be good at and enjoy. It’s amazing how the people who are closest to you can easily see what you should be doing when you cannot see it yourself. The answers are often right in front of your nose.
You should also take a hard look at yourself and determine your strengths and weaknesses. If you are a late night type who has trouble getting up early in the morning then maybe being a school teacher isn’t for you. Too often, people choose careers that seem fitting at first glance but once they get into the job they quickly realize their shortcomings that keep them from enjoying their work.
Another tactic is to imagine where you want to be in five years. Do you want to be making more money? Do you want to be sitting behind a desk or do you want to be doing field work?
Take that idealized image and determine the next steps you can take to get you to that goal. For a lot of people their dream job involves working less and making up their own schedule.
It also includes success. When choosing a career or new business to start up there is no need to stray far from home. Choose something that involves the things you love to do. If you love comic books become an online retailer. This way you can collect and read the comic books while making money and still enjoying them. If you enjoy working out become a fitness expert and sell workout routines online. The possibilities are endless.
Really successful people all share a common secret, they love what they do. Find what you love to do and incorporate it into your career or start a business in which you can enjoy what you do. Capitalize on your talents, skills, and experience to work in a career you love!
To Your Continued Success!
