Love What You Do (the Smart Way)

For generations, the sentiment ‘Do what you love, and you will never work a day in your life’ has been shared with those exploring what to pursue as their career. When we say this to someone, it can sound cliché, but there is wisdom to it if you understand the true meaning behind the statement. Although this phrase can have multiple meanings, one of the most philosophical meanings is that a high salary or a flashy title doesn’t mean much if you cannot enjoy your work. So, whether you are just beginning to explore your passions to determine your career path or you are looking for a career change to give your life more meaning, read on to find ways to love what you do – ‘the smart way’.

To find your key to fulfillment and love what you do, the smart way requires self-knowledge, truth, and a little planning. If you are like so many who struggle with uncovering your passions and what you love to do, this step-by-step guide will help you move in the right direction. You will ask yourself questions about your dreams and goals to get started. Then you will ask yourself and others about your strengths, and finally, you will use this newly discovered information to help guide you into being someone that learns to love what you do for a living.

One way to get into the right mindset is to agree to be true to yourself and not hold back. Remember that there is no wrong answer to the questions you will ask yourself and that self-knowledge is key to moving forward. Don’t expect to know what to do after your first session. You may need to repeat this exercise a few times before you make real progress. This is totally fine, so do give yourself patience and time. The purpose of this exercise is to incite motivation to make a positive change for yourself. I highly recommend taking notes or journaling through this exercise so you can go back and reflect on your thought process and decisions over time. Now, let’s get started!

The first fundamental question you should write down and ask yourself is (1) What are my deepest talents? Go ahead and take a moment to make columns on your paper for your feedback and then the feedback of others. Remember that talents can be easy to uncover for some and much harder for others. Take at least five minutes to jot down things you think you are good at. You must not overthink this and write down whatever comes to mind without judging yourself. Then, ask for input from friends and family and write them all down. Remember that feedback should always be treated with care because it is always a gift. Be thankful for the feedback you are given. Thankfulness and appreciation towards the feedback giver will make them more likely to provide feedback again in the future. Once you have gathered the feedback, take at least five minutes to read and reflect on the feedback about your talents from your friends and family. As you read through your feedback, are there any ideas that surprise you? Do you see any themes? For example, if your feedback is that you are great at helping others and love Science, perhaps the fields of medicine or education could be for you. For someone that already has a career in the accounting field, with feedback that you are an excellent cook and you love to write, you may want to consider writing a cookbook.

The second question to ask yourself is (2) What is my #1 career goal right now? Keep in mind this is a point-in-time question that will change. Try to focus on the present time. You must be brutally honest to answer this question because you can only pick one thing. Think for a moment and come up with a list of the top three career goals you may have. Then consider how you will prioritize your top three ideas and select only your top answer; this is your #1 career goal. Is your #1 career goal to make a fortune? To help others? To be creative? To be more fulfilled? There is no wrong answer. Uncovering your #1 career goal should help you evaluate your motivation. As an example, if you said making a fortune is your #1 career goal, but you are currently working at a low-paying job, you know you will need to do a lot of research to find careers related to your skillset that you can make more money doing. If being more fulfilled is your #1 career goal, you can start by knowing the things that make you feel most fulfilled. This could be teaching others how to do tasks more efficiently or encouraging others.

Thirdly, ask yourself (3) What is my dream career? This question is about your ‘pie in the sky’ dream job. Where do you see yourself if you could have any career in the world? Is there any correlation between your #1 career goal and your dream career? Do you see your dream career as being attainable or more of a daydream job? To know yourself is what you will need to see your truths.

Next, ask yourself (4) What are my career hurdles? Career hurdles will significantly get in the way of achieving your career goals. Be honest with yourself and write them all down. Some examples could include a lack of funds to complete your Bachelor’s degree, which is needed for the field you want to break into, a lack of motivation to learn how to write a book, or a lack of direction on how to come up with a plan to move forward. It is normal to have many hurdles for the same career goal. Knowing what stands in your way is essential because, often, coming up with a plan to overcome the hurdle is all that is needed to make that first move in the right direction. You may not have all the answers, but moving toward a plan is better than doing nothing.

Finally, ask yourself (5) What is my inner potential to achieve the change I am looking for? Your inner potential is what motivates you to succeed and the strengths you have to achieve your goals. For example, you may ask yourself what encourages you to try to take on a new role at the Marketing firm you dream of working for. Your answer could be that your desire to live a more fulfilled life is what motivates you to land that role or that you want to send your kids to private school could be what motivates you.

Now that you’ve used this guide to establish your road map to success, you have the tools to learn to love what you do the smart way. No matter where we are in our careers, we can all take a few moments to learn how to work towards a more enriching future. Chances are you’ll succeed, you’ll be more productive, and you’ll inspire others. That is because when you love what you do, you are fulfilling your purpose, and the proof is that your passion helps others become better versions of themselves every day.