Do The Work You Love And Reach Success
Doing what we love is what we always dream about. Since childhood, we dream about things we want to do when we grow up and to show the world how great we are. I can see it in my own children as I watch them grow and 'plan' their future. They have big ideas for their lives! And I want their dreams to come true. I want them to do what they love, to be successful and to live meaningful lives. Unfortunately, we adults, unintentionally squash these dreams by bringing out our own fears and believes of what life should be like. As children watch us and learn from us and our everyday actions, they form an understanding of a world around them, including our fears.
No child have ever had a dream that when they grow up, they want to do work they hate just to make money. However, this is what about 80% of people are doing today. They see us going to work everyday, disliking our jobs, our bosses, or customers. They see us rush through the day so we could get home and then do what we really love and care about.
It's time to put a stop to that and start doing the work we really love and live the lives that bring us joy! Don't panic, I am not telling to quit your job and put yourself or your family at great stress and risk. I am asking you, however, to think about what is important to you, and does your life and your work currently align with these values. And if not, there is no need to drop everything and make drastic changes. Starting small, knowing yourself, and taking actions everyday will get you to where you want to go. Here are some tips on how to start breaking this cycle and start doing the work you love:
1. Have a Vision. One of the things that stops us from seeing the truth and growing is our famous “it is what it is” thinking. Actually, it really isn't what it is, but rather - It's what you make of it. Having a vision of what you would like your life to be like will give you a deeper look of your true feelings and desires. To write your vision, grab a piece of paper and find a quiet place. Imagine yourself at 80 years old looking back and reflecting on your life. What did your life look like? How did you feel as each decade passed? What are you proud of? How would you live your life again if you had another chance?
If it's hard for you to think about old age, then try to “Be a Millionaire.” We all have a “millionaire syndrome” as we all dream that our lives would be so much different and so much better if only we had that million, or 5, or 100 in our bank account. So, what if you have won that million, what would you do with it? How would you spend it to make your live, and those around you, better?
2. Know your Fears. The biggest obstacle in our lives is our own Fear. It's only natural to be afraid of the unknown as we are internally wired to keep ourselves safe and comfortable. From early ages, we are preconditioned to avoid fear. We are told to go with a flow, to do what is already known and avoid unfamiliar. These deep fears block us from dreams and actions we need in order to live the lives we are meant to live. What fears do you hold deep inside that keep you from doing the work you love? Call each of them out by name. Think of what are they trying to tell you, what are they trying to protect you from.
Fear of failure is the scariest one for me, as is for many other people. We want to be perceived as successful individuals and failing clouds that sense of success. My fear is trying to protect me from being hurt, it's trying to tell me that I won't be loved or respected if I am not successful. Which, of course, is completely unfounded.
3. Know what Success means to you. The popular definition of Success is “accomplishment of an aim or purpose”. Webster defines success as “the correct or desired result of an attempt.” In so many words – you need to do something, make an attempt, act on it to experience success. Think about it, what success means to you. How would you define it? Is it a certain amount of money? Power? Time? Relationships? What kind of accomplishment is meaningful and successful to you? Not what others think success should be like, but what is it for You?
For me, my success is Freedom – freedom to be my creative self, freedom to express my interests and to help others do the same, freedom from judgment and fear, financial freedom, and freedom to do the work that I love. It's this definition of my success that keeps me moving small steps forward towards the life that matters to me. What is yours?
4. Do it Anyway. So, you have your vision, you know your fears and what success means to you, now what? Well, it is time to act on it. Even if you weren't able to come up with a vision or define a true success, and all these fears are paralyzing you, whatever small ideas pop into your head - act on them. If it's sounds interesting, fun or just a little curious, do it. It doesn't matter how big or small the idea might be. If fears are getting in your way, acknowledge them, call them out, but do it anyway. Enlist the support of family and friends, or hire a life coach, to help you with your goals. Start doing small things, little projects that move you closer to Your Vision and Your Success, today.
My fear of failure tries to immobilize me from action. Even if I don't like the situation, I would rather keep it safe and comfortable (or rather, uncomfortable). But the longer I try to do it, the worse I feel. I know that staying in this zone will not get me to my vision and I have to make myself get up and do it anyway. A good group of supportive friends and a coach help me keep moving forward and hold me accountable for my own actions.
Doing the work that we love and dream about from childhood is energizing, exciting, and inspiring. Being stuck in a dead end job or relationship, pushing up the career ladder just to keep our resume shiny, or do the work that others approve off but is slowly killing us inside – is a very bad proposition. I don't want that for myself and I don't want that for my children. I love my children, I want them experience success and I have high expectations of them, but I want them to get there through their own dreams and their own work that they love doing! For who am I to squash their dreams.