Do what you love, love what you do… which one are you?

Did you know that since some of the earliest writings from the world’s greatest thought leaders the notion of doing what you love (seeking a career that fills you with passion) has been discussed at length. But with current research showing how many people are disengaged, dissatisfied, and frustrated at work, I wondered is it possible to flip the words—is it possible to simply love what you do—your current job?

Finding a job you love is age-old advice. A well known philosopher (Confucius) said to “do what you love.” His words, “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life,” have been repeated throughout history.  And let’s not forget the thoughts of Maya Angelou who said “…pursue the things you love doing and then do them so well that people can’t take their eyes off of you.”

So what about the other approach —telling people to love what they do? You don’t have to look far to find the advice of Steve Jobs who said, “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.”  He was a great guy who seemed to love his work… and was incredibly successful; so is this key component?

Research shows that great work (award-winning work) is produced when people focus on doing something others love, basically asking yourself the question; “What difference could I make that other people would love?”  Or how can I make a positive difference to others?  The point is, loving your job is one thing—the activities and responsibilities you have on a day-to day basis. But loving the impact your job has on someone else is another. If you are not totally happy with what you are doing, try this one little simple activity: Go and see your work being received. See how it impacts someone else, another co-worker, a customer, another team, or whoever benefits from your work.

I work in social housing and every single person in this sector is an important cog in helping us to house our customers and deliver housing and related support services to customers right first time.  You are awesome… so whenever work gets busy or you feel it unmanageable, remember  what you do and the impact of your job on our communities and repeat after me.. “I am awesome because I work in social housing and I love what I do!”