Yesterday, I was listening to a talk show as I was driving in my car and I heard someone say “Love what you do when you are doing it and it will show in the work you do.” It’s funny how messages get reinforced as I’ve been doing a lot of reading on this subject recently and found it interesting that I heard this quote on this particular day. And so I decided to share my thoughts with you on the subject.
Do you have a passion for what you do? Have you ever thought about your values (what’s most important to you)? Do you know what your employer’s values are? Are the aligned with each other? I guess the most important question is, do you look forward to going to work each day?
These are important questions to be asking yourself. You see, when we love what we do and we have the same values as the company we work for and the people we work with, the pieces come together. We are happy, our managers are happy and most importantly our customers are happy. Without happy customers, ultimately, we do not have a job. Why? Customers stop spending money and without that revenue, payroll can’t be met and we no longer have our job.
You may be asking, “OK, Barbara, how does that apply to me? I challenge each of you to take a serious look at who you are. What do you value most in life. A lot of you are just starting out in your job careers. Some of you may be further along or approaching the end of your careers. For everyone, it’s not too late. I encourage all of you to seriously look at this and write down what is most important to you (your values). Set goals so that you can live according to your values and decide how you are going to accomplish those goals. This will place you in the right place to find that right job for you. I guarantee once you begin this process, you will find yourself being the right person in the right job; and it may not be the job you are currently in. That’s OK. Find what’s right for you and, in turn, will be right for your employer.
This is a great lesson I learned early on. I love what I do, have always had the same values as my employers/organizations I provide services to and never dreaded the work I do. I don’t get up in the morning wishing I could just stay home, I look forward to my day every day. It’s who I am and is part of my life. I always say “I work really hard so that I can play really hard”. Because I love what I do, work has become a part of me just like an adventure I may take, a sporting event I may attend or a night out at the movies.
Are you the right person in the right job?
