In my career coaching book “Falling in Love with Your Job”, I discuss two classic objections that I often hear from people when I talk about finding a job you love:
“A dream job is an unattainable fantasy”
When people say this, they usually mean that every job becomes a dire routine after a while. Work is work and as such it is different from pleasure. They believe it is unrealistic to aim for the ideal of a job you love so much that you cannot wait to get up in the morning to go to work.
I agree that work is never just pleasure. A job that is just fun without pain and struggle is indeed a fantasy and that’s not what career coaching is about. I acknowledge that every aspect of life has its ups and downs, rewards and challenges. This includes our career and day-to-day job.
However, there can be a thread of purpose and inspiration that runs through your career and brings a sense of fulfilment that transcends the temporary ups and downs. If you feel truly inspired by your job, you will appreciate the challenges it provides, and you will be better equipped to manage the inevitable stress. You will see challenges and failures as an opportunity to grow and take pride in developing your professional skills.
This is what I call a “dream job” and I know that you can create this by following the steps set out in my book.
“It is impossible for everybody to have a dream job”
This argument is basically that we cannot all be happy in our job. Job satisfaction is the privilege of a selected group of wealthy people or artists who have found their vocation. Most people have to work hard. In any event, if we all had our dream job, who would collect the litter and clean our toilets?
My answer to this argument is that we all have different needs and desires. What appears as a dire job to you may be a positive challenge or career step for somebody else at a certain point in their life. There are also many people who are not interested in career progression or the responsibilities that come with it. For some people, simplicity, predictability and security are enough.
In the end though, this question is academic and irrelevant to your life. When me or my associates have a career coaching client in front of us, the only question we are interested in is how he or she can find a career they love. In that moment we do not care about other people. We take it one person at a time. For you as the reader this means that the only question you need to ask yourself now, is how you can improve your job satisfaction – if that’s what you want.
Are we just making excuses?
Objections like those I discuss in this article are often used as an excuse for not even trying to find a more rewarding job. It‘s so much easier to say that it is not possible, because then you don’t even have to try and you cannot fail. But how can you know that it’s impossible to find a better job if you haven’t tried?
What have you done so far to create a dream job for yourself? How much do you really want it? Do you want it more than the comfort and perceived security you enjoy from maintaining your current situation?
Do not let your excuses keep you stuck in a job or career you don’t enjoy. Find out more about creating a fulfilling career in my book which will is available on Amazon.
You don’t have to do it alone
Most of our career coaching clients have no idea where to start when exploring alternative career options. That’s where a career coach comes in. Click here to book a FREE Discovery Call with me or one of my excellent hand picked associates.
