If you ask anyone if they’d rather do something they love for work, or not, it’s obvious what the majority would choose. But sadly, the reality is that society and the status quo squish the dreams of hypothetical questions, leading people to choose something other than what they love for work.
Many times, I think they are under the impression that taking any “good” job they can get is the safe bet. I know I was. They think the pros far outweigh the cons. The problem is, they don’t know the pros of doing something they love for work (especially if it means starting a business). These folks think it could make work easier or possibly make them happier, but the whole concept of doing something you love and getting paid for it, to them, seems like an unattainable dream. This is far from the truth.
What you do for work is a BIG deal. It has a huge impact on your quality of life. As human beings, we work almost half of our waking hours. That’s A LOT. A whole culture was built around the American Dream that says you can get anything you want if you work hard enough. So, we work. But so many people find themselves jumping into jobs because of an opportunity that has promise of security, and that “security” suffocates dreams of purpose and fulfillment.
Let me clear something up. I do not believe doing something you love as a job is always rainbows and butterflies. It has hard days. It can have REALLY hard days. It also has freaking amazing days that make any hard day worth it. Worth it for you.
Is your current job worth those hard days? These questions just might help you answer that question.
Do I enjoy this kind of work?
Is this work fulfilling to me?
Is it challenging?
Am I using my gifts and talents?
Does it make me feel alive?
I believe these questions are just as important as the most asked question: How much does it pay? Yes, we all need money to live. But now, more than ever, we are able to not only choose what kind of work we do, but we are able to create the work for ourselves. There’s no excuse for staying at a job you can’t stand doing. You get to decide: Is it worth it?
There is nothing wrong with working a 9-5 at the same company for your entire life. Not everyone has the desire to be an entrepreneur. But for many that can’t answer those questions with a “yes,” creating their own business is the ultimate way to ensure that fulfillment. And that’s why you are here. That’s why Idealust exists. Because creating a successful business and lifestyle around something we love doing is the most liberating and rewarding thing we’ve ever accomplished.
Whether you are still working full or part time and trying starting a business or growing your business, it’s important to your well being and sanity, but also to the quality of your work, that you find ways make sure you can answer those questions with a “yes” every single day.
Here’s a few ideas to get you started.
Stop going through the motions.
Doing the same thing day in and out will burn you out. Do that for long enough, and you probably won’t even have to think about what you are doing. You’ll quickly lose any passion you started with. You’ll get caught up in task without thinking about the purpose of the task. If you’re not a full-time entrepreneur yet, and you’d like to be, use your current work situation to learn as much as you can. Take a step back and try to look at the big picture of the work that you do, why you do it and what you can do differently.
Create challenging work for yourself.
This is a lot easier when you are your own boss, but it’s possible no matter where you work. You can find ways to improve your processes, be more effective and always strive to do your best work. Find ways to use your gifts and talents. If deep down you know you are truly stepping up to the challenges you create, you’ll start to find your work to be much more fulfilling.
Change your attitude.
I don’t mean your attitude about you wanting to be an entrepreneur. That attitude is awesome. I do mean stop moping around and complaining about how much you hate your day job. No one’s making you stay there. I was guilty of this one. Waking up at 5am isn’t usually my thing, and it definitely wasn’t when it was for a random job I didn’t plan on staying at. But it didn’t help to play the victim. Instead, I ditched the complaining and looked to the future of being my own boss, full time, to help me get through those early mornings and 12-hour shifts.
In the end, realize that YOU are the master of your own fate. If you aren’t fufilled with your work, you owe it to yourself to change that, or find (or create) new work.
