The Secret To Finding A Job (And A Life) You Love
Finding a job you love, is the dream, right? It’s what we all want.
Of course it is.
We want to spend time doing work that doesn’t really feel like work, brings us joy, and a real sense of fulfilment.
And we want to be paid abundantly for that work, too.
But in today’s job climate, it can be difficult to secure yourself any job, let alone one you actually want.
Yet, you can’t help but look at all those people out there who are doing what they love each day, and wonder, why can’t I do that too?
You can. And you deserve to.
We all deserve to find a job that brings us joy; and doesn’t make us want to pretend we got food poisoning last night, so we can stay in bed and binge on Netflix.
Here are my 6 top tips to finding a job (or building a business) you love; and creating a beautiful, fulfilling life.
1. Don’t be afraid to go sideways (or backwards) to go forwards
It has become almost the norm to take a year out, and go travelling to “find” yourself after you graduate.
But how many of us actually end up “finding” ourselves, or figuring out what we want from our life during that time?
Not many at all.
We then fall into jobs because we think they’re what we want, or they’re what other people want for us, or they simply pay the bills. And before we know it, years have flown by, we’re not happy, and we still don’t know what we want.
But by this time, life has become comfortable.
You’ve got a mortgage, you’re in a stable relationship, and you’ve (somewhat) worked your way up the ranks; earning yourself a fancier title with a chunkier pay check.
And it becomes increasingly difficult to walk away. Not only would your friends and family think you’re crazy, but you’d probably be at the front of the line thinking, what the fuck am I doing?!
But life is not linear, it’s a spiral, and it’s cyclic; which means that we are not meant to always be moving forwards in a straight line.
This is why the term “career ladder” needs to be retired. It doesn’t make any sense, and it makes us feel like a failure when we want to head in a different direction.
Finding a job you love sometimes means you have to go sideways, or even backwards for a while.
That means starting from the bottom again if you switch careers. Or giving yourself permission to try a few different jobs out, and not feeling guilty for doing so, or settling for something that doesn’t feel right.
2. Let go of the pressure to figure everything out by a certain age
I think a lot of our pain and suffering in this life comes from looking at other people, and comparing ourselves to them.
This leads us to thinking we should have X by the time we’re Y, but you don’t have to live your life playing this game; which, by the way, you will never win, because there is always someone out there who is younger, smarter, hotter, and/or richer than you.
If we haven’t figured out what we want to do for the rest of our lives by 18, we think there’s something wrong. The reality is, the people who find what they want to do that young are exceptions, not the norm.
For most of us, it takes many more years of learning, growing, and living to get there.
Finding a job you love is not a small task you can check off in a day, a week, or even a year.
So, if the pressure to be somewhere (or someone) is making you stay in a job you hate, I invite you to let go of it today. Don’t resign to laying down in a life you don’t love, just because you think you should have a “stable” career by now.
3. Get clear on what success means to you
Many of us have got this whole work thing backwards. We work because we think that will bring us success, but what we should be doing is first figuring out what success looks and feels like to us.
Because it’s different for everyone.
You might think you want to be a millionaire and live in a mansion, or have a job that allows you to travel lots, or run your own business and be able to work from the beach.
But how do you know that’s what you really want, in your heart of hearts? Have you ever had or done any of those things? Do they just sound and look amazing, or would they actually bring any more happiness or fulfilment to your life?
I don’t know, maybe they would. I’m just asking. When was the last time you actually sat down and got clear on what success looks like to you?
Do you want to run your own business, or are you happy working for a company?
Do you want the freedom to work remotely, or do you actually thrive in a bustling office?
Would a million dollar salary mean as much to you as you think it would; or would you prefer earning less and having more time to spend with your kids?
Before finding a job you love, it’s important to figure out what success means to you. Once you know, you can then find a job that supports the success (and lifestyle) you want to create.
4. Think about what you genuinely love doing
What doesn’t feel like work? What do you already, happily do for free?
The answer to these questions are key to finding a job you love.
In 2015, I was working as a fashion designer for a big UK high street company, and I felt like my soul was shrivelling. I was miserable, and knew I wasn’t in the right job, but I had no idea what I really wanted to do.
So I started re-visiting the things I’ve always loved. One of those things was writing. I would spend my mornings, evenings, and weekends writing; just for fun, for me. Because it brought me joy, and made me feel alive.
Five years later, I’ve written & published numerous books, reached millions of women with my words, and created a business that finally aligns with my soul.
So I encourage you to explore many things, old and new. See where it leads you.
And forget about trying to figure out your five-year plan. Focus on today.
5. When you’ve found it, devote yourself fully to it
Once you’ve found what you love; what you know (or think) you want to do, it’s time to commit to it.
This is the part that many of us want to fast forward, so we can immediately enjoy the fruits of our labour. But life doesn’t work this way.
I’ve come across plenty of writers looking for paid freelance work, who aren’t even writing every day. And others who are submitting the same pieces of writing to multiple platforms, in the hopes of having more clips for their portfolio; or lazily re-purposing old pieces and calling them new.
If you’re lazy, or not fully committed, you’ll struggle to achieve what you want. And you can bet there are hundreds of other people out there who want the same things you want, and are willing to work harder.
Anyone who has found their way to a job they love, or built a business from the ground up, has devoted a lot of time and energy to get there.
I wake up between 5 and 6AM every day to work. I rarely take a day off (not even the weekends). And I hardly go out and socialise with my friends. I’ve also cut down on what I spend, and almost everything goes back into growing my business, and or is invested in my self-development. I am fully committed to my work; because I know how lucky I am to be able to wake up each day and do what I love.
There is no such thing as an overnight success. Anyone who appears to have become successful “overnight” has actually got a back-story of ten or more years where they worked their ass off to get where they are now.
Once you know what you want, be willing to show up and commit fully to it. Be all in, or not at all.
6. Never give up, and keep reaching for the stars
It doesn’t matter where you are in your career or life right now. What matters is that you never give up on finding a job you love, and creating the life you’ve always dreamed of living.
Maybe life is a little rocky now, and it feels like you don’t have anything figured out. Maybe you’ve spent the past year trying new things, and you’re still unsure about what you want.
Give yourself permission to be here. You’re exactly where you’re meant to be.