“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.” – Steve Jobs
It’s Monday January 6th as I write this, and today marks the day where many New Zealanders and Australians are heading back to their jobs after having a two week Christmas / summer break.
I have to admit that after being in the black hole of not knowing what day or time it was for the past 10 days or so since Christmas, it felt good getting up this morning and hitting the day with a semblance of routine. Given that I have automatically slipped back into my intermittent fasting routine as well, my body and brain are feeling better too after two weeks of laying around and eating way too many Christmas chocolates!
I posted this meme on my facebook page this morning as I know that so many people will be feeling this way today – especially those that don’t love what they are doing. It’s hard to get motivated and excited about returning to work following your holidays if it is to a job that doesn’t fulfil you. Ultimately, fulfilment is one of the top things that people long for in a career, often beating out good pay and job security in its rating, so it pays to consider how your job makes you feel.
If you are someone who is not looking forward to being back at work, why not use this month to ask yourself some key questions? I love January as it tends to move at a slower pace and provides the perfect time to dig deep and examine your life before the year really picks up momentum. You have the ability to take advantage of these next few weeks and I recommend that you find some time alone where you can reflect and consider your life. Even starting off with a Wheel of Life exercise like I outline in my book 21 Hacks to ROCK your Life! will give you perspective and ideas as to what parts of your life – including your job – are going well and what parts need attention.
Back to your workplace situation though. If you are finding that you are dragging your feet and it is definitely due to something more than the fact that you are still weighed down with post-Christmas bloat – here are a few starting questions for you to mull over:
- Are you working in a field that interests you, or merely doing a “job?”
- Are you satisfied with your earnings and your potential for development and growth?
- Do you respect your boss and co-workers?
If your answers are no to any of these questions, then comes the next stage of investigating why and considering what options you could take.
For example:
- Are there some courses that you could enrol in to help you understand and appreciate your industry better? Is there a mentor who is passionate about the company that you work for, who you could spend some time with?
- Could you book a time to have a heart to heart with your boss about what they are looking for in regards to promotions and how you could work together to help you grow professionally?
- Could you start taking your boss and co-workers out for a coffee one at a time and get to know them more as people? Is there a way that you could step up and create a better sense of team through organising events and social outings?
Perhaps going through this process reveals that you are in the right place after all. Perhaps it reveals the opposite. Either way, taking the time to examine your career in January means that you have an entire year ahead in which you can make the changes necessary in order to be fulfilled in your workplace. It’s time to sharpen your focus and view your job through your 2020 vision.
Let me know how you go!
PS: If you are Auckland or surrounds based, I have the perfect event to help you apply 2020 vision to ALL of your life! On Saturday January 18th, I’m hosting a Premium LIVE workshop in my home where you’ll be able to Kickstart your year with a plan to create your life On-purpose in 2020! You can find out all of the details HERE and I’ll look forward to meeting you in person!
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