I must be one of the most fortunate people in the world! I love what I do and have felt that way since becoming a leadership coach and facilitator. Over the years I have met so many people who do not really love what they do, and yet they keep doing it. There are several fundamental benefits to loving what you do, including:
- Feeling a smile on your face and in your heart every day.
- Having resilience to manage any situation that occurs in your life.
- Being fully there in every activity.
- Improved health.
- Greater relationships.
Do you love what you do?
The Lovers or Fighters exercise, which is described in Coaching for Success,available through The Achievement Centre International is a simple exercise that will help you find out.
- Create four columns on your worksheet as illustrated below.
- In the left hand column list percentages, which will show the amount of time you devote to each activity.
- On a separate worksheet list all the activities that you do on a regular basis as part of your job.
- Now transfer each of those activities to the appropriate column on your chart, matching the percentage of time it takes with your assessment of how much you enjoy it.
- Here is an example of what a portion of my chart might have looked like a few years ago,before I got an assistant. My assistant now does all the things listed in my “Fight” column.
| Love | Do | Fight | |
| 20 % + | Coaching | Following leads | Booking appointments |
| 10 – 20 % | Facilitation | Reading and answering emails
|
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| 7 – 9 % | Business development | ||
| 4 – 6 % |
|
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| 1 -3 % | Reading Articles | Writing articles |
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Once you have added all your tasks look at the lay out. You have two choices:
- Delegate those things you fight, and focus on those things you love. I did and hired an assistant who loves doing the things I fight. We are both happy and my business has grown
- Consider whether there is enough in the “Love” column to make it worthwhile staying in the role that you currently hold.
It is easy to say there is always a choice; and, there are definitely other factors that come into play before you quit a job, but if the majority of what you do sits in the “Fight” column it is definitely time to take action.
This is also a great exercise for anyone applying for a new role in order to ensure you get a position that will provide you with the highest percentage of time doing the things you love.
Similarly try it for your personal life. I happily work longer to pay someone else to clean my house – a job I definitely fight, but the cleaner loves.
Love life to the fullest and love what you do.