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By Laura Garnett, Inc.
Now more than ever, work you love is well within your reach
Often, I encounter people who are so burned out, unhappy at
work, or disheartened by the job search that they feel that ever finding
a career they love is impossible.
Here's what I tell them: In
today's world, having a job that brings you joy isn't an idealistic
dream, it's a necessity to thrive. Because when you have a job you love,
you're not only happier, you also perform at your best.
And that's the type of employee businesses hire today. With an
increasing need for innovation, great thinking, and out-of-the-box
solutions, they want people who bring their best to the office.
But
even with this knowledge, there's still the question of how? How do you
go about finding and creating work that will light you up?
There are three essential and powerful steps. And best of all, you can take action on all of them today.
Step 1: Believe it's possible
If
you don't believe you can love work, then there is absolutely zero
possibility of finding work you love. If you believe you can, it will
ensure that you persevere despite any obstacle and fight for it. When your confidence is low
or you've had a string of disappointments or failures, it's easy to
lose faith. Keeping the vision strong is the only way you will be able
to make it possible.
Get started now: Start
telling yourself every day that you will find or create work you love.
Repeat this statement in your head as often as you can. You'll be
building your mental muscle around this belief. Pay attention. You will
see that before too long this belief will be so ingrained that you will
have a boost of inner confidence around it.
Step 2: Know your Zone of Genius and what you're best at
Knowing your Zone of Genius
makes finding work you love effortless. Your Zone of Genius provides
two essential data points that make up the work you love: your genius
and your purpose. Your genius is the thinking or problem-solving that
you're best at. Your purpose is the impact on others that is most
meaningful to you.
Get started now: Start by
asking yourself the following questions: When was the last time you felt
really in the Zone at work? What was the specific thinking or
problem-solving that you were doing? Map out five examples of this and
then look for patterns. This is your genius at work. When was the last
time you felt completely fulfilled by the impact that you were making?
How is that impact linked to a core emotional challenge that you've
experienced in your past? Your purpose is linked to a core emotional
challenge. Once you see this, you will gain insight into what kind of
impact is most meaningful to you. Your purpose is helping others who are
experiencing your core emotional challenge.
Step 3: Know the environment, people, and culture that will fit who you are
We
are all different and finding the right job is similar to finding the
right life partner. Not everyone is going to be the right fit. You have
to look at jobs in the same way, and the best way to help you establish
fit is to know the kind of people, culture, and environment that help
you thrive. You can then be clear in an interview about what these three
things are and use this information when analyzing different business
environments.
Get started now: Ask yourself the
following: What time of the day do you do your best thinking? What is
the ideal workday? What are the kinds of environments that make you feel
comfortable, energized, and focused? What are your core values? Use
this list to help identify or confirm if your organization is a good fit
culturally.
Take these three actions and you will be well on
your way to more confidently finding work that you love. Something that
is more within your reach than ever before.
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