Happy Happy Wednesday! Or Happy Hump Day for those of you in a typical 9/5 and if you are unaware or unfamiliar with the term ‘Hump Day’ it is used in context to describe climbing a proverbial hill, to get through a tough week.
I stumbled across this quote three weeks ago…
‘Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life’
…so I chose to post it, to my LinkedIn account and show my boss, Kiki Stanton, some praise. I never anticipated that one single post, about loving my job, would be the centre of so many positive conversations. In fact, I had over 2,000 organic views of this post (not to brag, but I thought that was very impressive), 36 impressions and 6 comments. On top of that, different people were contacting me, to quiz me, on what it was about my job that I loved and what makes Kiki such a good boss. The overall answer was simple – fulfilment.
Every single day, I am pushed to be the best version I can be, by being given the freedom and creativity to do so. Yes, there are rules and yes, I have set hours and yes, I do work in an office – but these are all flexible and I can change them at any time, to allow my work-life balance to be more in check.
Over the past four months, I have been lucky enough to join KKC as the Consultancy Assistant where I have excelled in areas, which I previously didn’t know I was even capable of. One of them being writing these weekly articles, so if you are reading this article, then thank you for the support in advance!
Anyway – I love my job, do you? A question I want you to think long and hard about. Do you actually love your job? I do and I want to share why, so I have squeezed my love for KKC into these bullet points below:
I enjoy my co-workers and our meaningful relationships have a powerful impact on my happiness.
I feel confident and comfortable about my role and understand what my responsibilities are.
I know that my skills are being put to good use and for that to happen, I truly understand the objectives that we are driving towards as a team.
I believe that I work for a company, where I feel I am making a meaningful difference in the world.
I am proud of where I work and the company’s vision.
Finally, I am recognised as a valued member of the team and receive constant recognition. A simple thankyou goes a long way.
According to the Office for National Statistics, employment in 2019 is at its highest since records began 40 years ago, reaching 32.81 million. That’s a whopping (almost) thirty three million of us, who are working every day. But for what?
To earn money? With money you can buy things you need, pay bills, have a place to live and basically do the things that you want such as book holidays, pay for education and buy clothes etc.
To learn skills? When you go to work you learn new skills and in turn create a record of employment. These skills and experiences can be taken with you into the future and provide you with a foundation, to secure a new or better job.
Surely there has to be more to life than paying bills and gaining experience – Or in other words maintaining a standard of living? Well, you’re correct! To be able to fully love and/or appreciate the job that you are in, you need to be grateful for what it offers you and for the value that it brings to your life in many ways.
Firstly, going to work can make you feel good! Having a career which allows you to get paid for using a skill you are good at, makes us feel great. Having a job is a responsibility and it will allow you to feel self-worth, dignity and self-respect. On top of that, the feeling of productivity is good for the soul and you can’t deny that there is anything more satisfying, than ticking off items on your to-do list.
Secondly, we are social beings. People need people! We thrive when we have a balance of getting and giving support, to and from others. Think about it, even the tiniest bit of social interaction could be a catalyst for increasing your work satisfaction over time.
Thirdly, you can contribute to the community. Whilst working, you are contributing to the economy and to the strength of your community, making you a valued and productive citizen. Think of all the innovation that has happened over the last 100 years, we are creative beings and therefore meant to create.
For those of you, who are not loving your job right now and are constantly feeling that ‘Sunday night dread’ then it would be easy for me to tell you to leave and find something new. Not because it’s easy to say, but because ive done it myself.
I know the thought resigning/moving/relocating might be daunting or scary! You might even talk yourself into staying in a job you hate because the thought of change is just too much however, these are only the self-limiting beliefs you create for yourself. Please remember: you can make change happen for the better regardless of your age and you can change your career regardless of your position. You just have to believe in yourself.
If you’re looking for some advice, then take some time to invest in yourself. Work out your values, what you are good at and what motivates you and I’m sure in time, you will be in a much better position, in a job that truly fulfils your needs.
Alternatively, if you are just feeling very 50/50 about your job, there are several things you can do to train your mind into loving it!
Here are my top three:
1. Set some goals – both professionally and personally. Make sure you check in with these at the start of each week and have a monthly reflection. Maybe even incorporate a bonus, pay rise or additional holiday as an incentive, if that works for you.
2. Write a gratitude list for your job. Are you grateful for the people who you work with or the hours you work which allows you to spend time with family? Write them down and look at them every time you need a reminder of why you are there in the first place.
3. Make the most out of your benefits. Do your due diligence to find out what’s on offer and make it a priority to make the most of them.
I am interested in continuing this research and finding out what it is that other people love about their jobs, so please feel free to contact me and share your thoughts. Email: lucy.ford@kikikirby.com In addition to this, you can book a free 20 min coaching call with Kiki to explore career changes, working out your values and options for the future.