I read an article not long ago that talked about writing a story to describe what your next job would be like. I encourage my clients to do creative writing to help them with many thought processes. Sometimes we get so caught up with what is going on in our heads, that we don't think abut what's going on in our hearts. For most decisions, you need to consider both - your head and your heart.
As you consider my topic for this post, what is the work that you dream about? I know you may be thinking that work is work and if you could just get a job, you would be happy about that. As I mentioned last time, it is possible for work to be more satisfying than the day-to-day grind it may have become. Although you may be inclined to think that work is just work, try to avoid that temptation. As a matter of fact, many career professionals and others believe that the more details you can fill in on what you would like your next job to be like, the more likely you are to find it. That is partly because as you consider more details, you are more likely to think of ways or places where you could bring that picture, your dream work, into reality.
So, even if you don't actually write a story that describes your dream or ideal work, I suggest you at least write down, in as much detail as possible, what that work would be like - in an 'ideal' or 'dream' situation. Think about whether you would be working primarily with people, primarily with data, or primarily with things,. If you would be working primarily or secondarily with people, consider what those people would be like - their qualities and characteristics. Also would you work with them as co-workers or would they be your customers/clients/students, etc. In many cases, you may have co-workers and customers or clients.
Consider what age group you would prefer to work with - as customers/clients/students and whether or not they are people with disabilities, or other issues/concerns/presenting problems, and other general descriptors you would prefer; things such as level of education or training, if appropriate. The idea is to write out a description of who your "average" person to work with would be like. Next time I will write more about your dream work.
Mary Ann Davis is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in private practice providing coaching and counseling for life's transitions; including career change or job search, as well as loss of job, retirement planning, coping with an empty nest, and other life planning issues. She is certified as a Master Career Counselor (MCC) by the National Career Development Association, a Life/Work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association, and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor (DCC). Please visit her web site at http://www.YourCareerPlan.com for more information on her services.
To contact Mary Ann, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Monday, February 7, 2011
Why Do You Work?
So, why do you work? Oh, I know, because you enjoy eating, having a place to rest, wearing a warm coat, etc. But beyond providing for the basic necessities of life, why do you do the work you do? If your work only provides a source of money and you get little or no satisfaction from it, I would say you are being underpaid.
Your work and your job should also provide you with some sense of satisfaction, a sense of making a contribution to making this a better world. Ideally, your job should feel like an adventure. You should look forward to going to work - at least on most days not mind going to work.
If this doesn't describe your situation, I would ask if you have considered changing jobs. If not, is that because you think if it were enjoyable, they wouldn't call it "work"? So many people I have talked to are just "marking time". They have been in their job so long that they hate to leave their employer and if they can just hold on, or hang in there another ___ number of years, they can retire and then do what they want to do. Part of the problem with that thinking is that not everyone is able to hold on and, sometimes involuntarily, their jobs are gone. Another problem with that thinking , at least from my point of view, is that life is too short to spend it wishing, hoping, and waiting for something that may or may not ever come.
So, if you have been just "holding on", I encourage you to start thinking about what kind of work you would do if you could afford to work for free. What could bring you joy just thinking about your work/your contribution? What gifts do you have to share with the world? Once you begin to picture that, then you can begin to figure out how to make that picture a reality.
Mary Ann Davis is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in private practice providing coaching and counseling for life's transitions; including career change, job search, as well as loss of job, retirement planning, coping with an empty nest, non-retirement planning, and other life planning issues. She is certified as a Master Career Counselor (MCC) by the National Career Development Association; a Life/Work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association; and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor (DCC). Please visit her website at http://www.yourcareerplan.com/ for more information on her services.
To contact Mary Ann, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.
Your work and your job should also provide you with some sense of satisfaction, a sense of making a contribution to making this a better world. Ideally, your job should feel like an adventure. You should look forward to going to work - at least on most days not mind going to work.
If this doesn't describe your situation, I would ask if you have considered changing jobs. If not, is that because you think if it were enjoyable, they wouldn't call it "work"? So many people I have talked to are just "marking time". They have been in their job so long that they hate to leave their employer and if they can just hold on, or hang in there another ___ number of years, they can retire and then do what they want to do. Part of the problem with that thinking is that not everyone is able to hold on and, sometimes involuntarily, their jobs are gone. Another problem with that thinking , at least from my point of view, is that life is too short to spend it wishing, hoping, and waiting for something that may or may not ever come.
So, if you have been just "holding on", I encourage you to start thinking about what kind of work you would do if you could afford to work for free. What could bring you joy just thinking about your work/your contribution? What gifts do you have to share with the world? Once you begin to picture that, then you can begin to figure out how to make that picture a reality.
Mary Ann Davis is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in private practice providing coaching and counseling for life's transitions; including career change, job search, as well as loss of job, retirement planning, coping with an empty nest, non-retirement planning, and other life planning issues. She is certified as a Master Career Counselor (MCC) by the National Career Development Association; a Life/Work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association; and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor (DCC). Please visit her website at http://www.yourcareerplan.com/ for more information on her services.
To contact Mary Ann, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.
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