It’s Valentine’s Day and love is in the air!
Although, it’s also Wednesday so love gets put on hold until 5 o’clock. But does it have to be that way? No! Despite what endless “Ugh, Mondays” sentiments will have you think, it is possible to love your job! Here are 7 Cupid’s arrows to help you find true love’s employment contract and make you say "I love my job" all over again.
1. Don’t forget to live off the clock
Finding a job you love can greatly impact your overall happiness, but it will - or at least should - remain your job, not your life. You can and should get fulfillment from your work, but not only from your work. Rest, a social life, and other passions should not disappear behind a 24/7 career.
2. Be curiously optimistic
Many of the jobs that exist today did not exist 20 years ago. Similarly, jobs that will exist 20 years from now may not exist yet. Even in the existing job market there may be positions you’re inclined to reject but could end up loving regardless. When considering career options, stay curious and follow sparks of interests you come across.
3. Explore your under-the-surface interests
Think of this as following your “soft skills”. These can include ways of meaning making, processing information, creating, and more. Even if your dream job is heavily tied to niche skills, explore and nurture your more general interests. You might be surprised where they lead you.
4. Know your worth and advocate for yourself
In an ideal world, companies would treat their employees fairly and reward outstanding contributions. Even though our reality doesn’t line up with this utopia, it doesn’t mean you have to let yourself get pushed around. If you believe you deserve a promotion, make those in charge see why. If you feel you’re underappreciated, remember that you are not held hostage by your boss. A job that makes you feel neglected and undervalued is rarely a job you’ll end up loving.
5. Pick your battles
From entry-level positions to your dream job there will be too many obstacles to face each one head on. You have a limited amount of energy and learning to love a job you’re in gets easier when you learn what potholes you can dodge instead of hitting with full force.
6. Hold space for the possibility of change
You may absolutely love your work and convince yourself that this is your one dream job. This may be and continue to be the case. If so, that’s wonderful! But more likely than not something will change: the management, your coworkers, your responsibilities, and even your passion. Just because you once thought that something was your dream job, does not mean you have to stay when somethings starts to feel off.
7. Finally, make peace with “good enough”
The reality is while there could be a perfect position at the perfect company with perfect coworkers and a perfect salary, the chances of fining it at random are slim to none. Weigh what you can and can’t compromise on, and what’s most important to you. The world isn’t perfect and sometimes “good enough” is just that.
The job you love the most will likely not be that on the first day. While there are steps before signing the contact that will give you better chances of finding your dream job, it may take work to form a job you do into the job you love.
Written and researched by Felicitas Angerer
Fall in love with your work all over again by contacting the Experts at Phoenix Creative Solutions today for a free consultation.