Are you spending your time doing what you love? How about in your job? Does it bring you joy? My dog, Turbo, always seems to love what he’s doing and where he’s at. I learn so much from him. So many times we get stuck in the though that we just do it because we have to have a paycheck, but do you really love it? I was reading a blog this morning that I follow and it said now is the time to do what we love instead of being focused on “I need to make a ton of money”; let’s face it, nobody is going to make a ton of money during the recession time we are in. Doing what you love brings rewards that we don’t find if we are doing something just because it’s the thing to do.
The past few months I have been taking a course on something I knew nothing about, inbound marketing. It fits nowhere in the world of medical transcription where I have spent my career to date, or does it? I’m trying to learn how the new world of connections and interactions impacts us. Yesterday I took the certification exam for the course. What I have learned is that I LOVE this new thing. It motivates me to learn more, to do more, and to be really good at it. I have also seen some value in focusing on something that I really love.
1. Peace of mind. When we do something just because it’s the thing to do, it can create conflict. Too much time is spent trying to decide if it’s the right thing, too much time living up to someone else’s expectations of us, and way too much time trying to figure out if it fits with who we really are.
2. It honors your values. Doing what you love is a way to honor the values you set for yourself. If you establish what you do to match your values in life, it is a way to honor those values. Family is one of my values. I have had to realize that means not spending hours in front of the computer, or I don’t get to spend time with them. It means finding ways to not work 80 hours a week so that I have the time to focus on what is truly important.
3. Your influence is greater. It is hard to “sell” someone on something you don’t love. Our world is changing every day on how we are influenced. I am much more likely to be influenced, for example, to buy something, join a group, participate in an activity, or even attend a meeting if someone I know and trust tells me about it. The days of reading something in an advertisement and making the decision that it’s for me are gone. It is about the connections I have who tell me something is valuable. If you are in a job that you don’t really love, how do you influence someone else to be in that same profession? If you sell something, can you truly impact someone to make that purchase if you don’t also love it? Sure, it’s possible, but if you love it, your impact is greater.
4. You are more productive. Think about it. Ever had something on your to do list that you didn’t look forward to doing? Something that you really didn’t want to do, but knew you had to accomplish? How long did it take to get that done and off of the to do list? I tend to do those things I really love first and get them done faster. That is a benefit to me, to my employer, to customers, and to the teams I am on.
5. You feel awesome about making a difference. My focus in life is trying to be sure the things I do make a difference in the world in which I live. The benefit of that is being able to help someone else, and it is also in how I feel about my contributions. When I do things I love, it simply makes me feel good. At the end of the day, the greatest satisfaction comes from being able to say “I made a difference” to someone today.
Do you love what you do? How does that impact your life and the lives of those around you?
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