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TRANSFORM THE JOB YOU HAVE INTO A JOB YOU LOVE

Do you feel there is something you were born to do? Are you just going through the motions in your current job while feeling burned out, bored or unfulfilled? You can start designing a job you love without quitting the one you have now. Keep reading to find some helpful tools for creating a job that’s rooted in YOUR TRUTH.
Barb Garrison

Barb Garrison

5 Min Read

MANY PEOPLE THESE DAYS ARE FEELING AN URGE (YOU MAY EVEN SAY A CALLING) TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD.

Often this starts as a subtle feeling of restlessness.

It’s kind of like an itch you can’t quite scratch.

This happened to me while working hard in a highly coveted corporate position with robust financial and social perks plus an executive title I’d worked my whole career for.

To be honest, I started to feel like my soul was leaking out of me. The itch I couldn’t scratch is what I see now as purpose or my personal mission and I wasn’t living my truth.

While I was good at the job I was doing, a lot of my most unique gifts and talents were sitting on a shelf as were my deepest values and the things and people I truly cared about.

CAN YOU RELATE?

If so, I’m here to tell you it’s not a bad thing. It’s simply a reminder that you have something bigger to do with your life and career.

It’s time to stretch yourself. I also want you to know it IS possible to start building a more fulfilling work life without leaving your current company, if that’s what’s right for you.

IF YOU’RE RESTLESS IN YOUR CURRENT JOB,

it’s not too soon to start taking steps toward more fulfillment and I’m here to make it easier for you.

This way you won’t have to heal the same bumps and bruises I did when I quit without having a plan for the future. (Yes, I told my colleagues I was going to be a bartender in a beach hut in Puerto Vallarta facing the ocean while the patrons would be facing the building. I wasn’t kidding…all except I hadn’t discussed this with my new husband or the lender we just signed a mortgage with.)

First tip: don’t wait until you’re so miserable or having physical symptoms of stress that you can’t think straight to take action. There is a less traumatic way to go about creatively designing your dream job.

ONE OF THE BEST PLACES TO START IS TO HONESTLY EXAMINE YOUR MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL HABITS AND PATTERNS.

We have a tendency to blame external circumstances when we’re unsatisfied.

And while there may be some validity to that, I have found that much of the work that needs to be done is around our own behaviors, work style and what we’re not saying out loud. Focusing your attention within will have the most profound and lasting impact on your efforts to create more joy and satisfaction in your life.

HERE ARE A FEW QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF TO START:

  • How do I bring myself to the work I do?
  • What is unique about me?
  • How do I contribute to my own burnout?
  • Do I prefer to work solo or in a group?
  • Do I like to lead and am I truly doing that?
  • Do I trust myself?
  • What do I care the most about?
  • What are my greatest gifts/strengths?
  • Am I still growing and inspired to do the work I do?

If you’re having trouble answering some of these questions, start there.

THESE ARE SOME WAYS YOU CAN BEGIN TO DESIGN A CAREER PATH THAT’S BASED ON YOUR TRUTH.

Once you’ve gotten an idea of what’s missing, see if you can come up with some ways you can start integrating that truth in your current job.

Is there a project you’d like to start?

Can you optimize an existing system so it runs more efficiently?

Is there another department or a particular team you’d like to work with?

Could you straddle two departments?

Is there a role you’ve had your eye on?

Do you have creative ideas and solutions to propose?

CRAFT A CONVERSATION WITH YOUR SUPERVISOR OR EMPLOYER THAT PRESENTS YOUR IDEAS IN A WAY THAT OFFERS THEM VALUE.

In other words, how can you put your unique gifts to work in a way that will benefit the company, the department, the bottom line and the person you’re proposing the plan to? They are more likely to be receptive if they can clearly see there’s something in it for them.

And if you realize after answering these questions that you simply want to find another position, now you have a great place to start.

NOW is the time to start making choices in your life so you can live your truth!

Is your work situation uncertain or frustrating you? Are you without a job or wisely thinking a current furlough may be just the hidden gift to start exploring work you’re truly meant to do? Do you hate your job, but have no idea what to do instead? Attempting to navigate those waters without support is not fun (yes, I do know, but that’s another story). I’m excited to announce that I’ve created The Job I Love Toolkit, with all the resources you’ll need to finally clarify how to get paid to do you.TM To be the first to hear more details, join the join the VIP Wait List.

And if you know a friend or neighbor who could use hearing the advice in this article or needs The Job I Love Toolkit, please forward this to them.

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