Steps to Find Your Career Why
How do you feel about your current career?
If you feel things have been dragging a bit lately, and you’re experiencing more dread than delight on Monday mornings, it might be time to take a long, hard look at what you want – your ‘Why’.
The problem with finding a ‘Why’ is not every job speaks to every person. Unfortunately, only about 20% of employed people are truly passionate about what they’re doing. Sometimes we wind up following a career solely to earn money to live on.
Does this mean your job is a lost cause just because it’s not the career of your dreams? Absolutely not! But you can still find a ‘Why’ which will put some excitement back into the work you do, even if it’s not everything that you really want to be doing.
Here are some suggested steps to finding your ‘Why’ at work.
How are you spending your day?
If you’re always scrambling to get your work done, are there ways you can simplify or streamline things to make your day easier? Try using a schedule to put your day on track, or organise your workspace in a way that streamlines the processes you do most often. Without the mess, it’ll be easier to see the things which you are interested in, which are part of identifying your ‘Why’.
Consider where you want to go
Okay, if you think your current work isn’t the big picture you’re looking for, then what is? As you form your ‘Why’, you’ll gain a picture of the future. What would you really like to be doing? Where do you see yourself going? What steps do you need to take to get there? Start some serious thinking about what you want. Only you can determine what you want!
A good book to read to start you on this process is ‘Find Your Why’ by Simon Sinek, and he also has some videos on YouTube.
Take time to think
On your next day off or on the weekend, take some time out to think about how you feel about the position you’re currently in and what you would like to be doing. Is there anything about your job which you feel means something to you or serves a purpose you believe in? Or could you change your role to be involved in something more interesting?
Make a list
Write down the things that cause you stress, that you really don’t enjoy doing or make you unhappy in your job. Then look for positive solutions to improve your day. Without all the added stress, you’ll find more about the job you like, giving you aspects you can add to your ‘Why’.
Talk it out
Is there someone you trust and respect who can help you, maybe just by listening? Look for someone you can talk out your current position with.
Set the plan in motion
Nothing happens without action. Defining your ‘Why’ will take some time and effort, so set aside time to think and write down where you want to go in your career and then map out steps to head in that direction.
Have you defined your ‘Why’ lately?
Take some time today to think about your ‘Why’.