With the majority of our waking hours being spent at work, it is often easy to become disengaged and start thinking about other things we would rather be doing. However, if we are doing something we enjoy and take interest in, we are less likely to have those moments of disengagement. A big part of engagement is having the ability to fully express our talents and strengths and engage ourselves in things we are passionate about.
Imagine the accomplishments and differences that could be made within the workplace if everyone was truly passionate about what they do. It is statistically proven that having passion for what we do keeps us engaged in our tasks at hand and allows us to accomplish more. Showing passion for what we do will also influence, engage and motivate others around us. While hard work and dedication does not go unnoticed, employers are more likely to recognize and promote those who also show high enthusiasm for their work.
Finding passion within our career is an essential part of our professional success. While some workdays may not always be the most enjoyable, it is easier to get through those rough days when we are passionate and enjoy what we do. True job satisfaction makes it that much easier to put in the time and effort that it takes to succeed and climb the corporate ladder.
So, what specifically can you do to find passion in a career? Try utilizing the following four steps:
- Ask yourself what you are good at: Consider your current and past employment, what skillsets are your strongest? Create a list of all those skillsets. Whatever it may be, putting a list on paper creates a visual list that can be reviewed and edited.
- Define Your Dream Job: Make a second list of the top 10 things that make you passionate about your job. Is it the interaction with clients? Brainstorming and implementing creative solutions to problems? Using your education to solve issues and make the data work? The satisfaction of helping others? Creating a list of what you enjoy will help direct you towards a specialty or environment that you can best utilize your skills in.
- Determine if your assets are being properly utilized: Are you utilizing your education, strongest skillsets, and previous work experience? If not, brainstorm what kind of job would apply all three of these elements. This will allow you to find an area of expertise that you can excel within and fully utilize your strongest abilities.
- Know your career goals: Your ideal job should be one that helps you accomplish your career goals. This could be running your own business, becoming a partner of a firm, gaining financial security or working your way up to an executive position within an organization. Review, assess and edit your goals as you reach major milestones.