Let’s talk about falling in love. And no, I’m not talking about falling in love with your next online dating connection. I’m talking about falling in love with your job! Just like any relationship, the one with your job takes work, practice, and patience. There are compromises that must be met, social engagements attended and most importantly, you have to choose your job and your job has to choose you back…every day.
In a world of instant gratification, it is so easy to forget that the good things take time and effort. Falling in love with your job is no exception. I’ve put together a few tips on how to really love what you do.
What are your strengths?
Have you taken the strength finder test? Where do you shine? This is so critical to know!
In order to love your job, you need to match your strengths to your daily responsibilities. I highly recommend purchasing the Strengths Finder 2.0 book, written by Tom Rath. In my experience, I’ve learned most employers will actually buy this for you!
Inside this book is an online test you can take to determine your top strengths. For example, mine are: Individualization, Significance, Context, Restorative, and Achiever. The book also explains each strength to you and how that can be utilized in a professional setting. Connecting your strong suites to your work place will instantly create some chemistry!
What’s your love language? (Aka, what’s your communication style?)
I don’t feel heard or understood!
How many of us have been there in a relationship (slowly raises hand…)? Having strong communication with your peers is going to take your relationship to the next level.
Knowing your strengths and how to communicate them are key ingredients for a healthy relationship. I recommend having your whole team take the strengths finder test because then you will know how to best communicate with all the different personality types in the room. Adapting to each person’s style -or having the knowledge that people communicate differently from you – will help easy any tension and will keep everyone focused on the main goal.
Where is this relationship going? What is the long term goal?
Not everyone knows what they want to be when they grow up. Some people are still figuring that out later in life, and that’s okay!
If planning your 5 or 10 year goals seems impossible, let’s, let’s break it down into smaller, more obtainable goals. I recommend keeping a work journal. Write down at the end of the day what went well, what had you stumped, what failed, what you learned, what frustrated you, and what had you excited. The proof is going to be right there in front of you and over time, some common themes are going to stick out. You are going to realize that maybe you don’t like working in spreadsheets all day, or maybe you actually really like leading those team meetings. Those are important things to note because you might just be mapping out your dream job.
Having goals in place are going to make you a more active leader of your work destiny. You do have the power to change the things you don’t like, or try things you have never done, but you need to get a good grasp on what those things are. The last thing a manager wants to hear is, “I’m unhappy in my role and I don’t know what to do about it.” Track what is making you unhappy and track what really excites you. Bring a possible solution to your manager in your next one-on-one meeting. Not to be all cliche, but you really are in the driving seat here.
Loving your job and what you do is achievable. Don’t be too hard on yourself. You are going to go through some growing pains. You might even decide to “go on a break”. I admit, I have been through the ringer when it comes to finding a job I truly love. I even began to question if it was me. Of course, the answer was no; I just hadn’t found the right fit yet.
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Today, I can confidently say that I’m in love with my job at PMG. Let me tell you, when you love what you do, everything else in life gets easier. Let’s face it, a majority of our lives are spent working- shouldn’t you love it?
Happy Valentines Day!
-Mac
MacKenzie Porwoll, Corporate Recruiter
mporwoll@pmgservices.com
