WHAT AM I DOING ALL THIS FOR?
What a great question!
If how I think leads to how I feel, and how I feel leads to how I act, then it also leads to my success. So, the question “what am I doing?” and the answers we find for it become very important.
Important for what?
Well…If I’m showing up every day—for my employer or for myself--and I don’t have clear reasons why I’m doing it, I’m headed for trouble. Remember the ebbs and flows of our motivations? Remember the seasons of interest, focus, and motivation that are inextricably connected to their opposites? Those opposites are the troubles that will come.
What kind of trouble?
Meaninglessness, despondency, apathy, depression. That’s right. All of that. They're part of human experience. That means we ALL experience them. And we need ways to work through and pull ourselves up from them.
Lots of business consultants and coaches advocate the need for goal setting. And I agree! But the importance of clearly defining reasons behind the goal is sometimes missed. If my goal is supported by my reasons, I have something to hold onto when the going gets tough; something to re-inspire myself with when I periodically and inevitably lose my way. My reasons give me a way of resetting, rejuvenating, reconnecting to what I’m doing and why.
You don't have to love your current job.
But you do need a reason to engage with it today. The problem isn't always the work itself, but of losing sight of what the work provides.
Instead of:" I have to finish this report." Think: "This report gives me the income that pays down my debt, allows me to go on that vacation, or funds my next venture."
The task may be mundane. The purpose behind it doesn't have to be.
So, how do I find and clearly articulate my own reasons for myself so they are there when I need a lifeline? Here’s a start…
Ask yourself: Who am I helping?
Does my work support my employer who supports dozens, even hundreds of individuals and families?
Does my work help a client succeed? A client whose business, in turn, provides livelihood for more individuals and families.
Does that client support the success of other organizations who employ other individuals, etc., etc.
And that's just the employment aspect. The solution you provide may do much more than that! Answering these questions can help you begin to see how your efforts are part of something larger than your own paycheck. Personally, I find great meaning in this. It can keep me moving forward when I just don’t feel like it. My work matters.
For YOURSELF, ask:
What opportunities does this role create for me?
What skills am I developing?
Who do I get to meet while I'm in this role?
Can what I gain here get me closer to what I want?
These questions can help to overcome the malaise that arises when my work becomes tedious, uninteresting or isn’t recognized and valued the way I think it should be. (Note: There are ways to be sure this dynamic is minimized! I coach professionals in advocating for themselves with diplomacy and tact to be compensated for their legitimate value. A very important subject!)
Your job doesn't have to be your dream. Sometimes it's the vehicle that helps you find your dream. Sometimes it supports someone else’s dream that you genuinely value. Either way, having your own personal reasons will take you a long way.
So, put some thought into this, preferably when you're even keeled and steady as opposed to working through malaise or overly enthusiastic. Write them down and keep them handy.
Remember: My reasons guide my thinking. My thinking guides my feelings. My feelings guide my actions.
And my actions determine my success!
Good luck.
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