Whether you’re working for a company or you’re self-employed, have you asked yourself lately ‘Why do I do what I do?’ If it is your purpose, your life’s work, I am so happy to hear it. You are one of the lucky few. A friend, a doctor who sees many patients throughout her day, just emailed a quick note to me this morning saying she can’t believe how many people she talks with who are unhappy with their jobs. I think people DO want to find our life’s purpose and for some, they’ve had it on their heart from a very young age.
You can spend years trying to find your life’s purpose. Maybe it’s right there and you don’t even know it. I have always loved the work I have done. Ten years in corporate telecommunications and business ownership, the next ten as a commercial real estate broker. It wasn’t until my father became terminally ill and I took a break from work to help care for him, that I finally asked myself ‘why’, why am I doing what I do? What was my purpose, my calling? What did my living legacy look like?
With coaching and the use of assessments to determine my strengths, interests, and values I decided that I was no longer interested in people’s real estate portfolios or business objectives. I have always been passionate about helping people achieve their goals throughout my entire career. I took a position as a recruiter which morphed into the discovery that my passion is more about helping the “candidates” taking control of their careers, helping them figure out who they are, what they want to do, and giving them the tools, techniques and resources to make it happen! I pursued my career management coaching certification and pursued my passion. I found my ‘why’ and work with others to find theirs.
In Simon Sinek’s book ‘Start with Why’, he explores why Apple over HP, why Google over Yahoo, what do Apple and Google do that other companies do not? These companies, and many other discussed, start with their Why and it is carried throughout their organizations via their employees. It gives them a reason to go to work and do their jobs, because they feel like part of something bigger than the tasks they do.
I encourage you to read Sinek’s book and find your ‘why’.