Just paying the bills

I find it interesting to talk to people about their perceptions of their job. This past weekend I was talking to a neighbor while our children were performing at a band show. A little over a year ago, he had changed jobs and gone to work for a competitor because it would provide him better promotional opportunity. He's a high-level manager, so I was somewhat surprised whenafter asking him how his job is going, his response was "It pays the bills." No enthusiasm whatsoever. I do realize that 70% of people dislike their jobs but I'm surprised that people seem to settle for that.

For an activity that takes up at least a third of our adult lives, I think that people need to have a different mindset towards work. I know that for those who observe the Christian and Jewish faiths, work is looked upon as a form of worship to God. But research also shows that people who enjoy their jobs seem to suffer less ill health effects than those who are stressed by their jobs. To succeed in the work that you do, you need to balance it with life outside of work and ensure that you are growing your skills and abilities so that you can perform your work well. To do this you need to make a plan whether you're looking for work or not. Once you have a plan together, put it in to motion. Whether you change jobs or perform your current job better, you will find yourself less stressed, less apathetic, and more energetic than you are now.

So how do you put a plan together? The first thing to do is find out what you're passionate about. What are your values, dreams, and passions? What really lights your fire? Once you do that, analyze what your skills and abilities are. Compile this into a list of information, and combine it with your personality tendencies. I use the Personality Profile System to identify personality tendencies, strengths, and weaknesses. Now you can focus on finding work that really fits who you are and allows you to utilize your strengths. Another tool that I use with my clients is the Strengthsfinder 2.0 analysis system. It provides you the benefit of understanding what your unique core talents are, which in turn allows you to know where your inherent strengths lie. Putting these pieces together is part of the coaching process to help you find work that you love so that it can be a form of worship. And if you're working in your skills and abilities and leveraging your personality strengths, you are far more apt to do an excellent job and be satisfied in your work.

I'd like to help you put together a plan. Contact me for a Free 30-minute Consultation.