Work Coach Cafe

Ah! To find that one special job to love with all our heart. A quest so noble…so inspiring…and yet at times even more elusive than finding our life mate – or so it seems.

This is an age-old yearning most of us know only too well – and the 6/19/2007 New York Times article Finding Passion at Work offers a few different ways of looking at this from several well-respected coaches in the field. This got me thinking.

I spent many years dreaming of finding that one job that made my heart sing. And for those people lucky enough to find that, congratulations! I once had a friend who knew since he was a little boy that he wanted to be a doctor. And he became one of the best in his field – compassionate and skilled. That’s great.

But what about those of us stuck in jobs we don’t love with no clue where to turn?

There are tons of books out there in the What Color Is Your Parachute? mold that want to help. Parachute was one of the first big ones, but any good bookstore will have shelves of books that could help you explore your career options.

But I remember reading quite a few of these books, taking some tests in some of them, and finding myself no closer to the answer. (Although I learned a lot about what I didn’t want!)

But why didn’t these books get me to a job I wanted?

Because sometimes there are things that we need to go through – things about ourselves we need to explore or deal with – before we can even let ourselves dream of doing what we love. In other cases, there may not be anything that clearly pops out as THE ONE THING, but we may find it as we explore other paths in life. And sometimes we need all the experiences leading up to finding that thing we love in order to be able to do what we love or to even recognize what it is when we find it. (As in my case where I found myself over the years – no matter what the job – offering advice to co-workers. And then it hit me that what I love to do is help people with work and if I hadn’t gone through all that I did, I couldn’t relate as well as I do!)

Sometimes you just need to focus

On the other hand, for some people it’s about finding something to focus in on wherever they are – even if the company or industry itself doesn’t knock their socks off. Like the person who becomes the computer go-to guy in a small department and then builds a career from there. Or someone who finds they can create beautiful presentations and learns ways to wow her boss and co-workers.

And sometimes it just takes a while before you are financially in a position to transform a passion into a career, even if you are lucky enough to know what your passion is. But when you’re ready, you can finally create that business you always wanted. In the meantime, your job pays the rent and lets you save for your dream. But a few words of caution: sometimes, when you turn a love into “work” you actually find that you lose some of the joy of your passion. For some people passions are best left as hobbies or avocations.

Each person is different. There is no one book or one coach or one anything that can give you the answer to your life. That’s up to you.

Can you hear the call?

But what I do know is that if something calls to you – even in the faintest voice – it’s worth exploring. If there’s some job or skill you’ve always wanted to try (even if there’s a less interesting job that pays more) don’t let anyone tell you it’s stupid. If at all possible…go for it. It’s a path well worth taking – even if you eventually wind up somewhere totally different!

You may find out that what sounded so wonderful in theory wasn’t for you after all. But that’s NOT a mistake. While on that path of exploration, some new thing(s) might open up that you never would have been given a chance for – and maybe never even imagined – if you hadn’t taken the steps to follow your bliss*.

Just remember to give things enough time for the universe to provide those new opportunities. Even not-so-great jobs can lead you somewhere interesting. Maybe it’s something new in the business itself or maybe it’s a person you meet who opens you up to new ideas. Waiting can pay off. Just keep alert to new opportunities. (That’s not the same as telling you to resign yourself to years of submission and feeling denied what you want.)

Stay open to possibility

While waiting for some cool surprises to kick in, your main job is to do the best you can where you are and stay open and positive. “WHAT?” Some of you may ask. “Even if the job sucks?” Yup. The more you learn that you have the ability to influence/improve things around you – even a little – and the more you hone your own skills where you are, the stronger you become. And so when you are finally ready to pursue things you love, you’ve already dealt with a lot of personal crap that would only get in the way. You’ll be stronger for it.

The dreams are out there even if you can’t see them now. Your best chance is to act as if you’ve already found them and bring that same spirit to whatever you do. And please… keep your eyes and ears open to possibilities right where you are!

Ronnie Ann

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Related posts:

20 Simple Tips to Help Move Your Career Ahead

How Baby Steps Can Get You Out of the Trenches and Into a Career You Love

How Can I Find a Job that Makes Me Happy?

Thinking of Changing Careers for that Dream Job? Be Creative!

* “Follow your bliss” is often attributed to The Power of Myth which talks about the mythological core human roots of things like vision quests and following your bliss.

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New Work Coach Cafe Policy:

Although I had to stop answering individual questions (to preserve my sanity), as always your thoughts and stories are VERY welcome here.

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