Finding work you love is like finding a new favorite book or movie. You get into it for a few minutes, then you have to stop and say, “Wow, this was great!”
With that same feeling, what makes it even better is how you feel after you leave the scene you just watched or read. After all, working on projects that make you happy takes some time to find, but when you do – wow!
It also helps if you are not looking too hard to find your passion job. If everything looks and sounds the same to you, then chances are you will not enjoy most of them.
Finding work you love means changing careers (or at least exploring options within yours), so don’t worry about making mistakes. As long as you’re doing something that makes you happy, that’s the only thing that matters.
This article will talk more about ways to know if work has made you unhappy and tips to change jobs if needed.
Make a wish list
In order to find work you love, you have to know what you want. And if you don’t know what you want, then it will be hard to get it. So take some time – really think about it and make a list of all the things that matter to you.
Does your family play a big part in your life? Do you feel like you give at least ten good hours every day to your job or hobbies? If so, then those are important factors to consider.
If none of these apply to you, that is okay! What other things can you add to the list? Perhaps being given chance to show off your skills and knowledge is meaningful to you. Or maybe helping others is what makes you happy.
Whatever it is, learn more about it and see whether it seems worth investing your energy in. It could help determine how you approach looking for jobs.
Create a job board
The next step in finding work you love is creating your own little job listing site. Companies offer their services for free through sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Pinterest.
These are all great resources to use to advertise your new job posting website. On these sites, people can search for jobs or create their own by inputing information about positions they want to source applicants for.
By having your own site, you will get to control what position listings go up as well as how much money you spend to promote them. This gives you more flexibility in how to market yourself and your career!
Your audience can also contribute to the site directly, making it a valuable tool for both employers and employees looking for help with their careers.
Ask friends for referrals
It’s easy enough to look up job listings, but actually finding fulfilling work depends on two things: knowing who to ask about opportunities and being able to articulate what you want out of your career.
Friends and family are a great source of both information and motivation, so don’t hesitate to share yours professional life with them!
Ask if anyone knows of any jobs or positions that sound like they would fit you, and also ask how successful people in their field made it seem possible.
By using these as resources, you’ll be sure to get some helpful tips. And since they know you, they may give you more specific advice than someone who is not familiar with you.
Stay positive
Let’s look at some examples.
I read an article the other day about how most people are spending too much time thinking about what they don’t want instead of what they do have. Or, as the writer put it, they aren’t living in their own truth.
He gave several examples of things that we all have – food, water, sleep, sex – and asked us if we were living in our truth with respect to these things. If you’re not sure if you’re giving your full effort into something, then why are you doing it?
We’ll never truly live beyond our means unless we actually learn how to enjoy material things ourselves, but I think we can agree that it makes sense to try to enjoy what you have.
Because here’s the thing about not enjoying what you have — no matter how rich or powerful you become, you will eventually run out. And when you do, you’ll be left wondering whether you did everything you could to make life good for yourself.
This won’t just hurt you personally, but also society as a whole. We’ve talked before about how important it is to believe in equality, equal opportunity, and fairness. When we lose this belief, social cohesion breaks down.
So, while it may feel like there’s nothing you can do to change your situation, there is.
Consider a job shift
A growing number of employers are offering what they call “job shifts,” which is basically changing your position or career field. This can be as simple as taking on more responsibility in current positions or switching from management to sales or vice versa.
By exploring different types of jobs, you open up new opportunities that match who you are and what you want out of life.
Finding work that makes you happy is like finding a favorite book series – it may not happen immediately, but keep looking until you find it!
Generalists have strong skills across many fields, so if you’re looking to move into another area, look for openings in job shifts where you can pick up some fundamentals first before specializing.
Alternatively, people with little experience could advance quickly through such a system because their responsibilities would be defined broadly, leaving them room to learn about other areas later.
Consider a job shift
There are many ways you can make work-life balance a thing of the past. One way is by changing your career path or field, which has led to people calling it a career change or a job switch.
By choosing different careers or positions, you expose yourself to new opportunities and chances at success.
The most important factor in finding satisfying employment is being aware of your strengths and weaknesses as an individual.
If you feel that you’re not good with detail then becoming a accountant might be frustrating for you.
Connect with a company
In order to find work you love, you have to be willing to connect with people. Your career will not happen overnight, it takes time to develop your strengths and skills as someone else’s.
By being receptive to new experiences and challenges, you are creating an opportunity to grow personally. Plus, you’ll meet many smart, hardworking individuals who can teach you their tricks of the trade.
If you ever feel overwhelmed or tired of working in a certain area, ask if there is anyone lower on the ladder who could use your expertise.
Connect with a company
In addition to doing what you love, it’s important to find work that makes you happy. If no one else can tell, chances are good that you will!
We all have different priorities in life and career. What matters most to you may be different than what matters most to someone else. It is your responsibility as an employee to feel fulfilled at work so why should you be paid well if you don’t?
As a leader, you also have the power to create a culture that encourages employees to put in the effort that keeps them feeling productive and satisfied. As such, there’s an opportunity here for you to make an impact on others’ careers and personal lives.
If you’re looking to stick around longer at your current job or advance within the organization, offering rewards like benefits could win over some of those people. For example, let go of smokers who burn out due to lack of health coverage.
On the other hand, more affluent employers might offer greater opportunities for growth, which could motivate individuals to move up the ladder.