There’s a lot of talk out there about Purpose, how we can walk in our purpose, do things according to our own purpose, be more purposeful, etc…While much of it is so inspiring, many of us also find ourselves asking: “But…what is my purpose? How do I figure it out? And how do I even begin to walk in it when I don’t even know what it is to start with?” This is without mentioning the guilt associated with focusing on our purpose, instead of doing what everyone else seems to be doing, that is going through the motions of work and life, making a paycheck, paying bills, etc…
I know I’ve asked myself the question over and over again. After years of being in a career that did not bring the type of fulfillment I was seeking, I decided to find out what this purpose thing was all about. I knew I had a passion for writing and teaching, yet I had no clue how to fit it in with who I had become, what I was doing, and my current family and personal situation.
The question I kept asking myself was: “How do we get there?”, “there” being that point where we can all get to work and live according to our divine purpose. How do we even figure out what this divine purpose is? And where do we start this entire process, while still paying our bills, catching up on email, and keeping our skin hydrated and moisturized?
One conversation with a dear mentor of mine put me on the path to answering, if not all these questions, at least some of them. He equated the whole process of getting “there”, or anywhere for that matter, to climbing a mountain and reaching the top. The more I thought about it, the more it made sense. What if every process we undertake is really just like climbing a mountain? What if this most important process of working and living on purpose is just that, climbing our own mountains of potential to reach the top of our divine purpose. And just like reaching the pinnacle of any mountain, there has to be steps we discipline ourselves to follow:
The Foundation Principle: Building on the skills, lessons and experiences you’ve gathered so far
Where do you start on any new process, especially one as big as fulfilling your divine purpose? What do you build on? Where do you even begin?
Although I spent much time wondering about this, the answer turned out to be simpler than I thought. Start where you are, with what you have. This also means leveraging all the experiences, the wisdom, the victories but also the failures we’ve been through. When I went through the exercise of documenting everything I had already accomplished and learnt, even if it seemed insignificant or not particularly positive, I realized I had more than I thought to get started. It also gave me the motivation and encouragement I needed to get on my own journey of purpose and fulfillment, as I remembered how much I had already done.
Can you think back to everything you’ve already achieved, learnt and acquired, in addition to all the natural skills, talents and abilities you naturally possess? As a matter of fact, can you make an inventory of all you’ve already been through and acquired over time? You may not give credit for everything you’ve accomplished.
The Choice Principle: Choosing the goals and objectives that are appropriate for you
How many times have you made a decision based on what someone else thought? How often have you even shifted the entire direction of your career, business, or even love life towards what some semi-influential person in your life recommended? If you come from most African families, you may remember your mom, dad, auntie or uncle prematurely brag about your bright future career as a “doctor” or “engineer”. That may have been the reason why you struggled in Pre-med, before realizing your acute fear of blood and dropping out. Or walking out of your cubicle one day, throwing your engineer’s hat out, and going back to school for creative writing…
When picking our own mountains to climb, we can be tempted to set other people’s goals and objectives as our own. It may be out of a faulty sense of duty, compromise, or because we’re afraid to pursue our own dreams.
The People Principle: Build a network that pushes you to become your best self
Working and living on purpose also requires you to surround yourself with the right people. People who inspire you, motivate you, push you, mentor you. People whom you can also serve as mentors for. Often, the reason we’re not reaching our potential is because we’re simply in the wrong environment.
In the same way that you’d pick a supportive, able team to help you hike up a mountain, you also need the right people around you to reach your purpose at work and in life.
The Preparation Principle: Gathering your resources to work and live on purpose
What do you need to fully engage in the process of working and living on purpose? If you had to pack a bag on this purpose journey, what would it include? And what would you leave behind?
As I embarked on my own purpose journey, I quickly realized that there were quite a few of the resources I needed that I was sorely missing. I had to work on my mindset, my sense of self-worth, but also on my relationships, my ability to learn and adapt, and my faith. These are some of the most precious resources to gather on the journey to working and living on purpose.
The Resilience Principle: Dealing with opposition
One thing that you can count on as you pursue Purpose in your career, business and life is opposition. There is something about stepping into unfamiliar, uncomfortable and often unchartered territory that makes others, especially those who “knew you when”, uncomfortable.
As you transform through the process of working and living on purpose, you’ll need the appropriate tools to face the opposition that will inevitably come your way. These include a strong sense of self, an extra dose of resilience, and a solid “why” to remind you of the very reason you started this journey in the first place, whatever it may be…
The Courage Principle: Developing the courage to keep going
Following Purpose is hard. For some, it may mean leaving a comfortable, well-paying career to start a business. For others, it may mean transitioning to a new environment or different relationships. While in the beginning, the prospect of being more fulfilled may seem exciting, in the long run, it can be easy to give up when faced with inevitable difficulties, opposition and struggles. After all, most new businesses fail in their first year, mostly because of how hard they are to sustain in the long run.
This is where developing the courage to keep going comes into play. It’s rooted in constant self-affirmation, positive support, and a strong faith in your mission.
The Celebration Principle: Learning to celebrate and moving on to the next mountain
The journey to work and live on purpose is very much a transformative one. While it’s challenging, it’s also so rewarding when we finally make it to the top of our mountains of potential, and achieve the goals that get us to activate our purpose. Yet, how often do we stop to take in the view, take a breath of fresh air, and really appreciate how far we’ve come? Not nearly as often as we should…
Instead, we tend to rush from one accomplishment to the next, burying ourselves under endless obligations and commitments. Before you know it, the same joy, fulfillment and sense of purpose we were starting to feel starts evaporating, diluted by unhealthy pressure.
This is why learning to celebrate and honor every milestone is so important, before moving on to the next goal, the next objective, the next goalpost on our way to fulfilling our divine potential.
Which one of these principles do you struggle the most with?
I love new beginnings, of years, relationships, creations, or carb-loaded family meals. They’re a good time to start fresh, but also to gather the experiences and lessons that have brought us to this point. Like when you start writing a new book and gather all your sources from past research, events and even entire existences…Or when you put together the ingredients to your favorite desserts from your old grand-mama’s recipes with a Pinterest twist here and there…
For me, this past year was no exception. 2018 was all about learning, transitions and work, on purpose. Here are 18 of them, as we close 2018 and jump into 2019:
Working on Purpose makes all the difference!
One of the biggest revelations I’ve had is that there is a difference between working to work, and working on purpose. That is, doing work that answers a calling, work that doesn’t let you wait until you snooze the alarm clock about 20 times before getting up, work that re-energizes you instead of depleting you. I could clearly see the difference between mornings when I dragged myself out of bed to make it to work before, and mornings now, when I look forward to starting my day. Days that no longer end with a draining sense of fatigue, but with a sense of being re-energized despite the fatigue (we’re human after all)…
We’re often taught that we must work to pay bills, take care of ourselves and others, buy nice stuff or just to keep a roof over our heads. What we’re not taught is that work is part of what makes us whole; that in order to leverage its power, we owe it to ourselves to not just partake in the process, but create and enjoy our own work process. It’s not just about loving what you do, but about tapping into your maximum potential, being as effective as you can be and becoming the best version of yourself in the process.
Your mindset is key
As I made the big leap from one career to entrepreneurship and to an entirely different career, I had the opportunity (and the shock) to realize how powerful our mindsets are. This is not just about implementing empowering mantras, or adopting some daily meditation practice, although these are powerful aids as well…
Rather, for me, it was about coming face-to-face with the full realization that I have been creating my reality all along. Through the sometimes negative words I spoke over myself and my work and life, through my lack of gratitude and less than optimistic outlook at times… I also realized that once you change the story you tell yourself about yourself, your work and your life in general, not only does your perspective shift positively, but your actual results do as well…
Do not resist closed doors
How many of us leave jobs without really leaving them, rehashing the negative aspects of past experiences we tend to take into new opportunities? How many times do we leave relationships only to hold on to the heavy baggage that came with it? Or hold on to past failures, only to weigh ourselves down as we start new ventures?
What I learnt this past year was to not resist some doors closing, but to release the baggage that came with it. For me, it meant releasing past jobs, business ventures and partnerships that weren’t for me, places and even schedules that didn’t allow me to tap into my peak performance level. For you, it may mean letting go of the old job, the failed business, the less-than-ideal relationships, the disastrous launches, so you can take the lessons and actually have a chance to start anew, in a better place…
No experience is wasted
Changing careers has taught me a powerful lesson about no wasted experiences. We often think that we run the risk of losing all the experiences and bonuses we’ve acquired over time by starting fresh. So many of us hesitate to jump ship into a new career, launch the business, write the book, start a family, for fear that we would have wasted all the effort and knowledge we’ve put in so far…
On the contrary, I found myself using skills I had acquired all along through my academic path, my prior jobs, and even in the course of my personal and professional relationships, as I started fresh in entirely new domains. Nothing is really wasted, everything serves a purpose, if only to point you in the direction not to go in…
Transitions are not as hard as you think
Transitions are not simple, in any area of work or life. Entire career transitions can actually be pretty complex. However, all in all, it’s never quite as bad as we picture them to be…
As a matter of fact, transitions are necessary, unless we force ourselves to stay still and not evolve or progress.
My own career transitions required quite some time and some serious dose of chocolate and caffeine, I’m not going to lie. However, what it was not was impossible or out of reach, as I had previously thought, and this even with not as much advance preparation as I would have liked. While you should plan a transition ahead of time, life sometimes happens and you may have to adjust. It’s in the adjusting that you learn the most and have the power to turn the game in your favor…
You’re allowed to start over
Speaking of transition, how many of you have dreamt of starting over, whether in a new job, a new business, relationship, or even environment? And how many have refrained from shaking the boat of convenience and comfort for fear of starting over?
I learnt that starting over, whether at work or in life, begins with giving yourself the permission to do so. The permission to make mistakes, get back up, risk losing a bit (or a lot), and create the life and work you really want for yourself…
Prune your network
You already know how important your network is to your success, whatever your definition of success may be. You also know how detrimental the wrong network can be for you. What may be more challenging, personally and professionally, is to revisit it every now and then and have the courage to prune it so it can be as effective as possible…
I learnt that it’s ok to feel pangs of guilt when it comes to shifting relationships and networks, it’s only human. However, it’s necessary to re-evaluate relationships as you grow, evolve, change and progress, in all areas of your work and life…
Support is overrated
One of the most sensitive questions I raised when going through my own personal and career transitions this past year was: “But who’s supporting me in my journey?” Thankfully, I’ve had precious family and friends to do so all along…
Yet, most importantly, what I’ve learnt is that the whole concept of support when it comes to our own personal and professional pursuits, is a bit overrated. That we are our best sources of support, and that what kills relationships is nothing more than excessive expectations. So what if your girlfriend doesn’t buy from you? Maybe your product is simply not up her alley, or maybe there are deeper issues to look into there…Whatever the case may be, none of us should allow the presence or absence of support to deter us from our purpose…
Network effectively
I wrote earlier about the importance of networks and networking. Even for the most independent among us, we need people along the journey as we accomplish our goals and objectives.
However, what I also realized as an entrepreneur, is that there is such a thing as ineffective networking. That answering to the call of every networking event or coffee break is a great way to scatter your energy and resources without producing any tangible results. As you consider your own networking efforts, ask yourself if they’re helping you to achieve your goals and objectives, and if there’s a mutual exchange happening. If the answer is no, you may want to reconsider…
Stop listening to everyone
While you need people along your journey of success, what you don’t need is to listen to people who have not walked the path you’re treading on. Don’t get me wrong, you can certainly learn something valuable from everyone.
Yet, what I’ve learnt is that I cannot afford to listen to everyone. If you’re called to create something new, walk your own path, and become the best version of yourself, your answer may not be in the Google or even in your sister’s best advice, for the simple reason that what you’re trying to do may not have been done yet…
Trust your gut feeling
Intuition is a super-power, and you already may know it. Yet have you been using and listening to yours? Or have you been instead relying on the Google, your girlfriends’, or your mama’s advice entirely, at the expense of the promptings of your own gut feeling?
What I’ve learnt, especially while transitioning careers and as an entrepreneur, is that your intuition will tell you things no one else can. That more than anyone else, you know what is right for you, your career and/or your business. And that inner voice is part of your competitive advantage, and should not be ignored…
Do what feels good
This may seem paradoxical advice, especially for us working women, who already start the day with a full to-do list and a heap of obligations to attend to. Yet, when we’re faced with a pile of things to do that don’t inspire us, we tend to proceed out of sense of obligation rather than celebration.
I’ve learnt that in order to celebrate and enjoy my work, as well as my life, it has to feel good. Not easy, but good. Not served on a silver platter with a mojito on the side, but good. Not handed to me as a free token of appreciation, but good. It has to spark interest and joy, along with a sense of fulfillment that keeps me going. And if it doesn’t, then I may have to find what does…
Watch your environment
It’s challenging to thrive in an environment that is not ready to receive what you have to say, who you are and how you present yourself. So many of us complain that we’re not able to realize our full potential, yet do not take a second look at what we’re surrounded with…
I’ve learnt that sometimes, changing your environment changes your life. That stepping out of a toxic workspace, negative setting or abusive environment, can mean the difference between day and night when it comes to your progress and evolution as a person.
Self-care is an investment
There’s another seemingly paradoxical piece of advice. Self-care is often neglected and put to the side at the expense of “more important” obligations. Yet, what we don’t realize is that without it, our productivity, creativity and entire sense of being sink altogether. As a matter of fact, it’s an investment in our growth, well-being and wholeness. It can make the difference between being simply busy, and actually being productive and effective.
I’ve learnt to make self-care a priority, rather than an option relegated to the bottom of my to-do list. For me, it means making appointments with me, myself and I at the gym, at the brow lady, and on my favorite chair with a good book, as often as I can. Even if it means sliding down the bed at the crack of dawn in the morning, or missing my favorite show to make it to bed early enough. Not as a luxury, or even an indulgence, but as an effort to invest in the woman I’m becoming.
Do not separate work and life, integrate them!
You know what they say” “Leave your work at work!” In the era of smartphones and laptops, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to separate work and life, especially for working moms juggling all kinds of responsibilities around the clock. For entrepreneurs, work is actually a lifestyle more than an activity with time boundaries.
Instead, what I’ve learnt to do is to integrate the two. As in fitting in some work during the kids’ naps while working from home, or getting up earlier to get a good head start before heading to a doctor’s appointment. While it can be challenging, it’s also the answer for many of us…
Reframe failure
When transitioning careers, and through my entrepreneurial journey, I was tempted to believe that every mistake or mishap was a negative. Instead of taking failure as an opportunity to learn, I would allow it to stop my progress while I loaded up on chocolate and re-runs of Sex and the City.
I’ve learnt that failure is a necessary step in achieving success. If you don’t fail, you don’t progress. If you don’t fail, you don’t learn. Once I reframed it as an opportunity to learn and move forward, I was finally able to stop stalling and move forward. As a mom, it also taught me to be more accepting of and patient with myself.
Invest in yourself
I’ve had to learn that in order to reap results, I have to invest in myself. There were times when I didn’t think I could afford to buy the course, hire the coach or even putting the time and energy to update my skills.
Yet, making a conscious effort to periodically and regularly make an investment of time, energy and money made all the difference. For me, it means regular self-care, as well as investing in books and courses that help me acquire new skills.
Focus on the process of becoming
Last but not least, I’ve learnt to ask myself: “Is this getting me closer to the person I want to be?”, to guide my decisions in life and at work. Answering this question has allowed me to make the right decisions for my career, business and personal life, rather than focusing on other factors such as money for instance.
Now your turn: What work and life lessons have you gathered in 2018?
If you’ve ever worked from home for a significant amount of time, you know that going back to office life can be a shock. From having to wear pants to not being able to access the fridge all day long, getting back into office mode is challenging.
After working from home for almost a year, I went back to office life in my dream career. Although I love what I do, the transition was not without challenges. I had to re-learn getting accustomed to morning commutes, dressing professionally again (read: wearing pants and applying make-up), and actually leaving my home for longer than I had for a while.
Thankfully, I learnt so much from this transition, that it turned out to be one of the best changes I’ve experienced in my career. If you’re going through it, or thinking about it, here are a few tips you can glean from my experience:
Mindset first!
It all starts with mindset! Whatever the reason behind your return to office life after working from home for some time, make sure to be mentally ready and prepared for it. For you, it may be going back to the office after being laid off, or after a maternity or sick leave, or even after running your own business from home for a while. Regardless of the motive behind it, it’s still a significant transition you should pay attention to, especially if you’re taking it as a failure:
Give yourself some time and room to process this transition. If you’re spiritual, you may pray or meditate about it.
Talk to a trusted friend or family member about it to get another viewpoint.
Let go of any negative thought or sense of failure associated with the prospect of going back to office life.
Going back to office life after working from home for some time is a lifestyle change. It’s not just about getting back to commuting and wearing pants, although that will be involved as well. It’s also about changing your daily routine in a way that works for you and your loved ones, especially as a working woman and mom.
Popular wisdom has it that it takes about 21 days to adopt or change a new habit. Take the time you need, preferably before you return to office life, to cement your new habits and schedule. It’s also helpful to talk to your spouse and loved ones, and get their support through this transition.
Plan for it
Planning is not only necessary as you prepare to get back to office life, it’s actually crucial. From planning your wardrobe, to structuring your days and weeks ahead in advance, it will take some time, resources and energy to prepare for it.
A few weeks prior to returning to a cubicle or office, consider making a list of everything you will need. Make a list of people to reach out to, and coordinate with in order to accommodate your new schedule and obligations. As a working mom, don’t neglect to plan for additional childcare or help with the household chores, as your time will be more limited.
All in all, getting back to office life after working from home for some time is a process that requires mindset, lifestyle and planning changes. While it can be challenging, it’s one that you can grow through and learn a lot from.
How have you transitioned from working from home to office life?
I was at work, in my zone, checking box after box of deliverables when my cell phone rang. It was home. I couldn’t pick up; besides, I was in the flow and didn’t want to stop just yet. The phone kept ringing, over and over again. “It must be important”, I thought. I needed to take a biological break anyways, so I picked up, walking towards the ladies’ room by the corridor. The rest was a blur, as the news I received dealt me a physical blow so hard I had to sit on the carpeted floor for a few minutes.My grand-mother had just passed away, and I was hearing the news all the way from West Africa. Saying that I was devastated was an understatement. Memories kept flooding my mind, as I desperately fought to find a way to get it together in the office.
Like me, you may have faced a personal crisis at work. It may have been the loss of a loved one. Or the crushing end of a marriage. Or a friendship imploding. Whatever it may have been, a personal crisis can be amplified and made almost impossible to manage when you have to handle being at work throughout part or the entirety of the process.
Besides, personal challenges and crisis affect the way you see and think about work. When you experience loss, your career suddenly takes a backseat, and rightfully so. In Bridget Jones, Bridget leaves her job after finding out her boyfriend cheats on her (it also didn’t help that he was his boss). There are many scenarios, some of them in our favorite movies, when people change their whole careers after a personal crisis.
When personal crisis hits and everything seems to fall apart as the monthly report is due and the boss is breathing down your neck, you don’t have to fall apart. Here are a few ways to keep standing when the world is crashing down around you:
Take a time-out
Dealing with your emotions and feelings when you’re going through a personal crisis is not a luxury, it’s a necessity! Whether you take a personal day or use your vacation or bereavement time, make sure to observe some time to grieve over whatever you may be experiencing!
It may be time to mourn over the loss of a dear one, to get over a marriage crisis, or simply to absorb some delicate financial or health-related news. Whatever it may be, not taking the time to do so will end up having repercussions on your life and work in the short and long-term.
Communicate!
As an introvert, I always find it challenging to communicate when facing a personal crisis, especially at work. However, we must understand that our relationships, whether personal or professional, do not necessarily understand what we may be going through.
This is why it’s so important to open the communication gates and allow those around you, to understand what you are facing. This is not about telling everyone your personal business, but rather opening lines of communication to facilitate a process that is already challenging for you.
Consider your options
When facing a personal crisis at work, you must consider your available options. You may be able to take some time off, use bereavement time, or even access some mental health resources offered by your organization. However, if you don’t know about these or fail to consider them, you may be putting yourself at a disadvantage.
While it may be challenging to do so, consider consulting with your Human Resources department. You can also talk to co-workers and friends to evaluate your options.
Focus on healing
As important as work may be to you, your healing and health, both physical and mental, takes precedence. Focus on your well-being, and recovering from whatever crisis you may be facing. If it requires taking some time off, then so be it.
Don’t be afraid to communicate your needs during this process. The more you can work at emerging from the crisis you may be facing, the better you can be in life and at work.
Make a plan
Facing a personal crisis at work takes a toll on you. The longer the crisis remains unsolved, the more it affects you personally and professionally. As difficult as it may be, make a plan to deal with this crisis. This may mean having a plan to take some time off, using some of the resources offered by your organization, taking a loan out of your savings, or any other type of plan.
Committing to a few steps to turn the crisis you may be facing can go a long way towards healing and actually learning from the experience. If you can trust your co-workers and management, you may consider asking them to help you through your plan and keep you accountable.
Stand up for yourself…
There are times when you may have to face a personal crisis at work alone. Your co-workers or management may not necessarily understand or empathize with what you may be going through. You may also be hesitant to share your process and experience with them. You may even face opposition or flat-out resentment from those you work with. This may be the case when you need to take some time off, go on a leave, or be more flexible in your schedule, as it may also impose additional demands on your team or department.
In these cases, as challenging as it may be, you may want to stand up for yourself and exercise your rights. Make sure to collaborate with your team as much as possible in the process. However, you must take care of yourself first, even if that means standing up to your team or organization for the sake of your well-being.
But be kind to you!
Facing a personal crisis at work is painful. As much as you may want others to show compassion and kindness to you, you must be kind to yourself first. This also means assessing your needs as honestly as you can, and allowing yourself the time and space to heal.
All in all, we may all at some point or another, face a personal crisis at work. Life just happens, and sometimes everything falls apart. In these cases, the most important thing to remember is that at the end of the day, our health, sanity and well-being comes first.
Now your turn: Have you faced a personal crisis at work? How did you deal with it?
Have you ever been stuck in a job you hate, but had no way to leave? Have you ever started a business that you ended up resenting and even despising in the long run? Did you embark on a professional mission that you started with excitement, but that now makes you dread getting up in the morning?
If you’ve ever been in any of these situations, you know these are far from pleasant. You spend so much time at work that the stress of doing work you hate can take a serious toll on you. You may also feel like you’re wasting your talents, or not contributing to society as much as you’d like. Maybe you feel like you should do something meaningful and have an impact on your generation. Or maybe you’re not sure what your dream career is, but you know this is definitely not it.
I remember in one instance feeling physically stuck, to the point of not being able to regulate my breath properly. At the time, there was a sense of hopelessness and sheer panic, as it seemed I drifted further and further away from the person I wanted to be and the work I was meant to do.
It’s one thing to try and fail, and start over again. It’s another to simply sense that you’re glued to a certain occupation that consumes the majority of your time, and that you frankly don’t enjoy. We all want to do good work, contribute to society, and make an impact. When our hands are tied and we’re unable to do so, we start drowning in the mundane sea of daily to-do’s, losing sight of our purpose, joy and drive.
Yet, the bills still have to get paid, shoes bought, and cell phone services paid. Which means we can’t exactly pick up and leave jobs, no matter how much they suck the life out of us. Getting unstuck doesn’t necessarily equate sending in your letter of resignation and backpacking through the Himalayas (although sometimes you may need to do just that). I’m not suggesting either to remain in a soul-sucking, motivation-draining, toxic career that threatens to deplete you of your sanity and well-being.
Actually, I’ve learnt that it starts with mastering where you are on the way to where you’re going:
Pick out the good (even if you have to squint)
When you’re doing work you hate, it can be challenging to make a mile-long list of things you enjoy. After your hourly coffee runs, scrolling Instagram on your lunch break, and having your 50thsnack of the day, your “good stuff” column may run low.
Even then, pick out the good in your circumstances. It may be your paycheck, your fun co-workers, or Friday’s special omelet with cheese at the cafeteria. The more you can see the good in your situation, the better it is.
Practice gratitude
Although I have to remind myself to practice gratitude daily, it’s one habit that always sets me up for success. To this day, I try and write a list of at least 10 things I’m grateful for about the work I do. It lifts me up, and changes my perspective, especially on days when it’s harder to get motivated.
Being grateful for the work you do is not just a mindset shift. It’s an actual shift in your attitude, from taking what you have for granted, to appreciating aspects of your work you may not have thought about before.
This is one wisdom nugget I borrowed from entrepreneur and Curlbox founder Myleik Teele. Your job is indeed paying you to learn. From learning to work in team environments, to managing and contributing to meetings, not to mention handling challenges and acquiring specialized and general skills, your job, as much as you may hate it, is paying you to acquire knowledge.
No, you’re not working for your boss, your team, or even your company. You’re working to improve your skills, build your reputation and prepare yourself for a brighter future. That job you hate is setting you up for the one you’ll love and excel at down the road.
Your paycheck is your Freedom Fund
Let’s talk funds. That paycheck which may be the highlight of your bi-weekly period can also serve as the financial foundation of your dreams, or your Freedom Fund. Your Freedom Fund is the money you save while gainfully employed to invest in your dream business or simply put money aside as a reserve for the time when you take the leap.
That’s how I started my side hustle, by investing and re-investing some of my earnings into my business. In this sense, having a job while you build up your dreams is a wonderful opportunity.
As much as you may not enjoy the work you may be currently doing, don’t forget the people factor. Building authentic and genuine connections is key to your success at work and in life. In the midst of the frustrations you may be experiencing in your work, take some time to forge and nurture healthy relationships through active and strategic networking.
Don’t get me wrong, this can definitely be more challenging in a toxic, gossip-ridden and negative environment. However, taking the high road and maintaining your professionalism can go a long way in keeping and growing your network, even at a job you’re not fond of.
When all you can think about is how slow the clock is ticking before 5pm, it can be hard to think in terms of excellence. However, the true mark of leadership is to be excellent in less than excellent circumstances. Which also means going above and beyond even when your work is not motivating or inspiring you.
The key is to trick your mind into doing your absolute best work. If this were the career of your dreams, how would you treat it? How would your work ethics change? What would you do to go above and beyond? As you do this in less than ideal work circumstances, you’re training yourself to do it when you reach the C-suite, the business office, or your absolute dream career.
Remember, you create your reality!
In Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill explains at the beginning of the book how he was in less than ideal circumstances at his place of employment. He then proceeds to describe how a simple mindset shift propelled him to be more successful than he could have imagined in his work.
The point is, you are entirely up to you! It’s not so much your work circumstances, as much as your mindset, that determines the success of your outcomes. What you think you create. How about thinking of being successful doing work you love?
Being stuck doing work you hate is far from being the end-all-be-all of your career or life. Many of us have been there. However, what you do while you’re there is what really matters. Changing your mindset, and using your current work situation to plant the seeds for a better future, is what will take you from dreading to loving Monday mornings.
