Congratulations!
You found your passion!
After what seems like an endless amount of searching you FINALLY found that thing (or things) that really FIRE YOU UP.
So now what?
What do you once you have found the thing that makes you so excited that you can’t sleep at night?
Well in short….it depends.
It depends really on where you are starting from and where you want to end up.
Let me explain…
Your next step once you have found your passion, and hopefully tied it to a purpose, is to TAKE ACTION.
Your goal is to move from the “finding” phase to the “doing” phase and the only why to get there is to take some sort of action to move forward.
But what ACTION are you supposed to take?
Well since you aren’t happy where you are now you need to either make your current situation better (tweak current job – get new job – get new employer) or do your own thing (become an entrepreneur).
So to start you should ask yourself a few questions…
- Can I do my “Dream Work” in my current position?
- If not then can I change positions or job descriptions in my current company to get closer to doing my “Dream Work”?
- Is the company I currently work for the best place for me to do my “Dream Work”?
Based on the answers above you can then begin to layout the next steps in your action plan.
Lets say you answered “Yes” to Question #1 above.
Great! Stop sitting still! It is time to make it happen so go do it!
But what if you answered “No” to Question #1. Then what?
Move on to Question #2.
Can I change positions or job descriptions in my current company to get closer to doing my “Dream Work”?
If you answer “No” to Question #2 as well then you only have one option.
What you are basically saying at this point is that your current job will not allow to do your Dream Work no matter what!
Your only option at this point is to find another place to work!
But what If you answered “Yes” to Question #2?
What if you see the ability to tweak your job description a bit or actually change positions within your company so that you are more aligned with your passion and purpose?
Well thats awesome! So then it is time to answer Question #3.
“Is the company I currently work for the best place for me to do my “Dream Work”?
That means…
Is it the the ideal place for you pursue your passions?
Is it the place that has a purpose that resonates with you?
Is it a place that will acknowledge and appreciate you when you are doing your best work?
Your answer to Question #3 is usually the “make it or break” question.
If you answered “Yes” then your future looks bright at your current employer…Congratulations!
If you answer was a big fat “No” then we have some work to do.
If you can see yourself doing meaningful work in your current or future position BUT the company you are working for just doesn’t cut it for you then IT SIMPLY WONT WORK!
It is time to move on!
You need to either find a different place to work or go out and start your own thing (become an entrepreneur).
Being able to do things that you are passionate about is awesome but you also need to be in the right environment in able to be truly fulfilled.
Here is a short story about a girl who needed to find something different to illustrate the point.
Think of a Graphic Designer who is truly passionate about what she does.
She absolutely loves everything about being a designer.
The problem is she works for a company that doesn’t really excite her.
The company is in the business of selling pest control services to businesses in her area.
She creates beautifully designed marketing materials for this company but it just doesn’t seem like its enough.
Now pest control is important but it really doesn’t jazz her up. Something is missing.
Now what if take that same passionate designer and put her in the right environment to see what happens.
Lets just say that our passionate graphic designer has a really big interest in a non profit in her area.
That non profit has special meaning to her because its MISSION (helping underprivileged kids) resonates with her.
It resonates with her so much that she volunteers at events for this organization several times a month just so she can be involved.
One day she sees that they have an opening for a graphic designer to come join their team.
The are looking for a talented designer that wants to help them achieve their mission.
She is beyond excited!
She applies for and immediately gets the job.
The team she joins is very supportive and the environment is awesome! Everyone works together to achieve the companies mission to the nest of their ability.
She now works it a place that allows her to pursue her passion, has a WHY that resonates with her, and also allows her to do her best work!
By doing so she is truly engaged and fulfilled as is finally doing work she loves!
*By the way the entire story above is a true one. It comes from one of our recent coaching clients who is now doing work that she loves (and we are so proud to be a part of her journey!).
Once you have found your passion that next step is to assess where you are and where you want to go.
You may realize that your journey to find your Dream Work is much shorter or much longer than you had hoped.
Either way by answering the questions above you will be off to a good start!
