My Best Career Advice: Love What You Do
Many people in this life are working jobs that they don’t like. They earn a salary that they aren’t happy with, partake in relationships that aren't ideal, and generally spend time doing things that they just don’t enjoy. This article is going to focus on career pathways, but it can also apply to every other area in your life.
Sage Advice from My Father
Years ago, I was in conversation with my father and he gave me some sage advice that I will always keep with me. He said, “When you work, it is very important to work at something that you enjoy doing. Many people do a job because the money is good, but they hate their work. It’s smarter to do what you love to do instead of doing something you hate because it pays well.”
This conversation was the catalyst that drove me towards my passion of joining the military. I had so many roads to choose from when I was eighteen years old; I could have been anything that I wanted to be and had many doors open for all of it. When it came to make a decision for my future, I spent many moments in prayer and in self-reflection. Many people advised me and encouraged me to go in certain directions. People that I trusted most and that had a huge influence on my life all had their own opinion on what I should or shouldn’t do with my career choice. Deep in my heart I wanted to be a Soldier. The war on terror was still in its beginning years and many people around me discouraged a career in the military because of the risks and dangers. However, I finally came to the conclusion that I am going to do what I truly want to do and no matter what happens, as long as I do it with God on my side, I cannot go wrong. At eighteen years of age I enlisted in the US Army.
My military career has definitely had its ups and downs; however, I have not regretted my decision even one time. I have had painful experiences, mostly in times of combat, but every Soldier knew what we signed up for and we served our country with pride. Thinking back now, my days in the military never felt like work. In fact, I have enjoyed many things about it. The people I have met, the experiences I have had, the fitness I have maintained, the finances I have built, and the great men and woman that I have served with all have given me much enjoyment in my military career.
My Advice to You
I fully support anyone who chases their dreams and follows their heart. My advice to you is similar to what my father told me years ago. Do what you love to do and become good at it. Do it to the very best of your ability and the money will take care of itself. Keep your morals intact and keep your passion hot. If your passion is hot you will never feel burnt out from your job. There is a saying that goes “if you have to take a vacation from your job, you are in the wrong job.” People whose passion is hot enjoy every day that they are at work; they enjoy the people they work with and the contribution they are providing to their organization. When observing workers, you can tell who is doing what they love and who is doing the job for other reasons. The people who love what they do will invariably get promoted faster and will earn more money. These individuals also handle pressure better and have a better attitude towards work and life in general.
If you are in a career field that you are not particularly thrilled about, you are likely hurting more than just yourself. In fact, those around you, like your friends and family, can suffer as well. The organization you work for also suffers since you are actually cheating them out of your full potential. By enduring a job that you don’t like, there is no self-fulfillment in your life and your performance reflects a desire to do only what is necessary to get by.
Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.- Confucius
On the contrary, if you are doing what you truly love to do, others can see it and your energy around the work place will be unmatched. You will jump out of bed every morning excited and thrilled to start your day. You will be in a good mood all the way to work because you know what pleasures await you at your job. You will show up and people will know that the real deal (you) is now in the area. Your colleagues will realize that you mean business because that’s the reputation you are building for yourself. When your passion is hot, every moment that you spend at work it’s like fanning the fire turning the coals a bright red. Your mannerisms, your demeanor, your energy, and your motivation will be oozing out of your whole being and your productivity will be remarkable. This is how you should feel when you go to work. You should love your job and love the people associated with it. This will display magnetism from your being and will exhort others to be productive as well. Motivation is contagious and when you are the one bringing it to the work force it can produce an unparalleled feeling like nothing you've ever felt before.
Gain Confidence and Improve Performance by Learning More
When you love what you do it makes it very easy to get excited about learning your job and expanding your base of knowledge. You will likely have a strong desire to learn everything that you can about your profession. The more competent that you become, the more confident and capable you will become enabling you to do your job better than before. There are many things that you can learn that are universal and will help to improve your job performance in any field. For example, communication skills, leadership skills, interpersonal and relationship skills, financial skills, writing and typing skills, and even street smarts can be used in just about any job. These are just a few things that can improve your work and life no matter what field you are in or choose to be in.
Developing certain areas of your life will enhance your performance and your overall well-being. When your home life, financial life, Spiritual life, physical fitness, and overall morale are in order, your performance at work will be stable and you will be able to execute like a champion. When you are able to perform like a true winner day in and day out, the repetitions and routines that you develop will become habit. You will have developed a certain level of excellence that people will notice, resulting in a reputation of someone who does great work and who is reliable. This is the kind of reputation that you want to produce for yourself. Love what you do and your career will really take off. God Bless you and God bless your profession.