Love What You Do

Author: Catherine Pulsifer

If you love whatyou do, then it is no longer work. The money you earn is secondary when you love your work. Money can never buy happiness, or peace of mind.

Don’t Live For Vacations
Those who continue to work at a job they hate for the money alone are more likely to be stressed, and very unhappy. They dread getting up each day. They hit the snooze button on the alarm clock wishing the day was Saturday. They live for their vacations and weekends. Unfortunately, they are sadly missing out on the happiness of everyday life. Their life is slipping by them; they are wishing their life away by dreading 5 days out of 7 each week.

I know exactly how they are feeling. I can speak from experience; I was once in a job that I hated. I couldn’t wait for the weekend to come so I would not have to go to work. (I changed jobs, but more on that later) It is better to receive less money and be happy with what you are doing, than to receive lots of money and hate what you are doing. While it is great to receive a big paycheck, it really is not worth it if you do not enjoy the work you are doing.

“Profit is a by-product of work; happiness is its chief product.”
Henry Ford

Your Attitude Changes
When you love your work, you look forward to each day. Your attitude changes from one where you are counting the days to the weekend, to one where you enjoy your weekend, but look forward to your return of work.Each day you wake up and get up, sometimes before the alarm even goes off. What a difference it can make in your life when you enjoy your job.

A Trap
Unfortunately, not many people have found jobs they love doing. Often, people stay in jobs that they despise rather than taking a risk by changing their work to an area that they love. Sometimes, we fall into the trap of thinking we are secure in our positions, and we believe it is better to remain where we are rather than change jobs.

If you do not love what you do, I would encourage you to find an occupation that you would enjoy, and set your goals to help get you there. Although, I have heard numerous people wish for a different position, they take no concrete action to move them towards fulfilling their wishes. Wishing is like talk, it accomplishes nothing.

Rather Than Wishing
By setting goals, you can start to advance in the direction you want. It may take time, but rather than wishing, you are actually taking positive steps toward achieving your desire. You have hope, you see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Don’t let excuses, such as, “I’m to old to change jobs”, or, “it has been years since I went for an interview,”, or, “at least I know what is expected.” Excuses and procrastination will keep you stuck. As the saying goes, “if you don’t like something, change it.” Excuses can hold you back, but change can propel you forward. Small changes made every day, a little at a time, can have a major impact.

Also, have confidence in yourself. Identify and recognize the skills and knowledge you have. And if you don’t have the knowledge you need then get it. Information is readily available on the internet, or, at the library. A lack of self-confidence is another reason that can keep you stuck. If you have determination and passion it is amazing what you can do if you believe in yourself.

“The great thing in this world is not so much where we are, but in what direction we are moving.”
Oliver Wendell Holmes

I’m Not Sure
Many times I hear people say, “Loving what you do sounds great, but I’m not sure what I love to do.” Well, let me suggest that you make a list of the following:
1. What things have you done in your life that you really enjoyed doing. Don’t judge your thoughts, just write – it could be anything from playing a sport, to cooking a dinner, to helping people, to writing a book.
2. What do you have a passion for? What has made you want to jump out of bed? What gives you a sense of satisfaction?

From these two lists, expand on the ideas. What type of career do you see by using one of your ideas. Your results may reveal several possibilities. You then have to decide which one you want to pursue.Or you may also want to understand what your personality is so you can ensure you are a fit for the job. Find books to help you decide what jobs are best suited for your personality! There are many tests you can take online. Search the internet for, “personality test for career” and you will find lots of resources.

Set Your Goals
After you have decided which career to pursue, set your goals and take the necessary action to attain them. This may mean taking courses to acquire your credentials, improving your current skills, or conducting research. Use the three principles in setting your goals:
WHAT = Goal HOW = Action Plan WHEN = Time Frames

Write down your answers to what, how, and when. And then develop a plan. Start taking action to move you in the direction you want to go.

I can speak from experience, this works. I changed jobs by setting my goals. And the added benefit to doing this, was even though I was going to work every day at a job I did not like, I had hope and it made the job easier because I had a plan. I knew I was not going to be there forever. Did I have set backs – Yes. Did I have to change my time frames – Yes. But, I kept moving forward and eventually I did change jobs and now I love what I do.

You are now moving forward and taking steps towards achieving happiness in the work you will do. Your focus turns from one of dreading each day to one of realizing you are one day closer to your goal. You are no longer wishing but moving in the right direction!

Inspirational Quotes for Reflection:
“Successful people set goals and work toward those goals. Successful people create plans and work those plans. Success doesn’t just happen; it is something you work toward.” Scott Carty; Paul Durso

“Many people who have a lot of money are unhappy, however those people who have a lot of positive experiences are always happy.” Andrii Sedniev

“The point is this: if you do what you love, it doesn’t matter in the least that a vacation has to end. If you love what you do you will not find yourself wishing for even a few more days of vacation, or wishing that you could keep enjoying this vacation for much, much longer.” Byron Pulsifer

“By having big goals and pushing yourself towards them you will have a lot more energy because you know exactly what your doing and what you’re doing it for.” Troy Foster

“If you have a goal in life that takes a lot of energy, that requires a lot of work, that incurs a great deal of interest and that is a challenge to you, you will always look forward to waking up to see what the new day brings.” Susan Polis Schultz

“Don’t ever think you will never get out of the circumstance. Looking at it with a negative attitude will never get you anywhere.” Christopher Epstein

“If you have ever felt such tremendous enthusiasm and desire for something that you would gladly spend all your waking hours working on it, that you would happily do without pay, then you have found your passion.” Sharon Cook and Graciela Sholander