Career fulfilment, aka do I love or hate my job?
Adults often ask children what they want to do/ who they want to become when they grow up and I always find the response to this question fascinating: an astronaut, a vet, a Formula 1 pilot, a hairdresser, a cook, a teacher etc. The response tends to be aligned with something deeply rooted inside us. Rarely children would think what kind of constraints they may or may not have to become who they want to become, rarely they associate their response with money and status.
Only few people persevere with that childhood dream of theirs and as they become teenagers and little adults, they are influenced by what is popular in the day, what their parents would advise them, what will bring them better status, more money etc. We go to uni or we start working, one thing leads to another, we go with the flow which is an important skill as well so that we adapt to the environment. In some cases, we are making a fantastic and very successful career in the eyes of many and hopefully we are very proud of ourselves and our successes too but somewhere along the way in our career, we tell ourselves: “I hate my job!”
In my experience, this feeling can be particularly popular during the mid-life crisis and/or when we stayed in a job for quite some time. We have the feeling that we can do more, that we are in the wrong job, that something or someone restricts us. And of course, there is always an external factor that somehow puts constraints on our freedom and what we want to do but there is the internal factor as well: ourselves. Who else but ourselves will empower us to make choices?!
Do you know what gives you truly meaning and fulfillment and if yes, what do you do about it?
Now, I don't want to suggest that everyone quits their job and becomes who they wanted to become when they were 5 years old 🙂 or that it is wrong to pursue status or financial stability. What I would like you to do is to try and remember who you wanted to become when you were a child and try to connect this to something you do at the moment in your personal and professional life. The following questions might support your thinking:
At the age of 5 years old, what did you want to do/ who did you want to become when you grow up?
When you were very young or even a teenager, what did you most love doing? How did that feel?
What brought you joy and satisfaction? Try to picture those moments and situations.
How does the response of the above questions relate to something you already do in your personal and professional life today?
What other opportunities could you think of that will bring joy, satisfaction and meaning in your personal and/ or professional life regardless of your situation?
For example, did you want to become a medical doctor because you love helping people but you are a software engineer? How does your current job relate to that feeling of fulfillment of helping people: maybe you are building a software that is making life easier for many. Or did you want to become a teacher because you like to be in front of people and talk? If your job today does not relate at all to some sort of speaking in front of an audience, what opportunity can you cease to talk in front of people in your personal or professional life: e.g. you are an expert in Finance => Find your audience - junior people in this field with the same interests and share your wisdom.
Yes, it is that simple…
I wish you a meaningful week!
