The only way to do great work is to love what you do
Its far more likely to overhear someone saying theyre dreading going into work than to catch someone talking about their passion and enthusiasm for their job. For so many people today, work is merely a mandatory factor required to pay your bills.
According to Gallups 2013 State of the American Workplace Report, only 30 percent of Americans are feeling engaged and inspired at work. So if you dont particularly love your job, youre not alone. But just because work is a mandatory aspect of life, it doesnt mean you have to view it as an obligation. Its completely possible to transform your mindset and career goals to ensure youre doing something you enjoy and paying your bills at the same time.
As Steve Jobs once said, The only way to do great work is to love what you do. This is something I truly believe and Ive never once looked at work as an obligation. Its time to toss out your view of work as an obligation, too. Here are a few tips:
1. Do the math. Why do you view work as an obligation in the first place? Maybe youre not being challenged at work, your boss sucks, or you just dont have passion for the work youre doing. Sometimes your distaste for your job can run so deep that youve forgotten all the reasons you dont exactly love it.
Spend some time breaking down your reasoning into logical pieces of information. For example, your boredom may be stemming from a lack of meaningful projects at work. What can do you do about this?
2. Be an active problem solver. Dragging yourself out of bed and into the office every morning can be exhausting. If youre not happy with your current position, its your duty to do something about it.
For instance, if unnecessary emailing, long meetings or other company issues are detracting from your productivity and wearing you down, speak up and do your part to fix it. Making things better for yourself can also benefit the company as a whole.
3. Get competitive. Sometimes transforming how you look at work comes down to making small personal changes. Adding a level of competition to the mix can work wonders on how you view your job.
This may mean competing against your past projects to ensure youre improving or pushing your team to be more competitive in the next brainstorming session. Stay on your toes to remain engaged.
4. Go out and search for passion. Passion for your work isnt going to just appear out of thin air.
Figure out what would really make you more engaged and passionate about your work. If its not something that youre going to be able to receive in your current position, then it may be time to consider seeking a new job or career. You may even be interested in starting your own business.
5. Stop searching for the mythical work-life balance. Separating work and life into two distinct categories can be damaging. It leaves you thinking that one is a negative and the other is a positive. You spend nearly a quarter of your life on the job, so its better to look at work as a complementary element of your life.
I truly love my career, so Ive meshed the personal and professional aspects of my life together to create a level of flexibility that works for me. For example, maybe the whole 9-to-5 gig just isnt your thing, and you work better in your home office. Consider approaching your manager to ask if telecommuting is an option, even if you do it just one day a week.
6. Remove money as your motivator. If you see work as simply a means for paying your bills, then youre doing something wrong. Money just isnt an effective motivator in the long run. At my company Ciplex, weve completely taken money out of the picture, so that employees work based on passion, engagement and autonomy.
How can you take money off the table for yourself? Would you be willing to work harder and be more engaged if you received a raise, or if you were able to lead projects youre passionate about? Create a plan of action to find a motivator other than money.
Work shouldnt be an obligation. With a little time and consideration, its completely possible to drum up enthusiasm and passion for your job.
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