The most beautiful fate, the most wonderful good fortune that can happen to any human being, is to be paid for doing what they passionately love to do.
Abraham H. Maslow
Love what you do
Love what you do – how many of you can say that you love your work? From my experience of working with clients on career and performance issues, I would conclude not many.
Of course, being a career coach, it’s true to say that I see more than my fair share of people for whom Maslow’s above quote is absolutely not the case.
However, there does seem to be a very high proportion of people in today’s world of work who, not only don’t enjoy their work, but who vehemently dislike it.
Common reasons they give for this include:
- unrealistic work demands requiring prolonged long hours
- poor management
- under-resourced
- internal inefficiencies
- drowning in paperwork, meetings and bureaucracy.
Very rarely is the dissatisfaction with the job itself or their professional area. More likely it’s due to organisational culture, unsupportive management, inefficiency and overload.
Implications of this often spill onto families and relationships and adversely impact health: stress being high and sleep poor due to this constant treadmill of too much to do in too little time.
The Power of Reflection
As you go forward in 2019, it’s useful to look back and reflect on how 2018 was for you.
- What problems did you have either professionally or personally that caused you discomfort or pain?
- What changes or improvements did you hope to make in your life and how did you get on with them?
And looking to the year ahead
- What changes or improvements do you want to make?
- Will 2019 be the year that you take decisive action to make them happen? Or how many more years will they remain another broken resolution?
One book of particular relevance here – you may remember I recommended it in my last blog post – is Spark Joy by Marie Kondo. Capturing the nation’s attention, Kondo shows us how to declutter and organise our homes.
Spark Joy in Your Life
To spark more joy in your life, ask yourself the following four simple questions:
- What would you do more of?
- What would you do less of?
- What would you stop doing?
- What would you start doing?
What They Say
Throughout 2018, I continued to work with lovely clients of all ages and stages. As it’s always better to hear it from the horse’s mouth, here are some words from a few of them:
Clare helped me to rebuild this confidence and approach interviews in a more relaxed and confident manner. Since then I have been successful in gaining employment. New Graduate
As a result of Clare’s help, I am much more confident selling to others and speaking in public to a large audience. Professional
I feel so much more relaxed and prepared for the interview…thanks so much for all your immensely helpful help. Professional.
Looking ahead, 2019 looks like an exciting year as I continue to help clients to:
Build confidence / Get clarity on what they really want / Get an internship / Manage stress / Get their first career job / Change career / Improve sleep / Develop their business / Gain a promotion / Improve public speaking and much much more.
If you (or anyone you know) wishes to make 2019 The Year You Did, get in touch here for a free confidential telephone chat.
Stay tuned! Next month’s blog is on a subject I come across a lot: The Curse of Perfection.
Image courtesy of Startup Stock Photos
