Can you have it all ?

Holler! Calling 40-ish’ers with a solid job that pays the bills and provides well for your family. Is this you?

The question I am often asked is:  can that same JOB be “something that lights me up?”  or “Can I have it all?”

My answer in a nutshell is YES! a resounding yes.
There is much satisfaction to be gained from a job that allows you to provide well for your family’s needs. Some luxuries on top. So deserved given the effort and sacrifices you make. Longer hours, unsociable meetings across time zones. Travel. The list goes on.

But while satisfaction is pretty good, let’s face it, it’s way up the rankings from being in a job you hate or where you are entirely frustrated with your career for whatever reason.
But is there more?
What is it?
Can you find it?
And if you do – can you have that too?

I believe that the missing piece for many, is passion in their jobs and careers. Passion it’s what truly light us up. You know, it’s not an assessment or check the box exercise to know if it’s there or not. You’re going to feel it. Passion lights a fire in our belly. It will also make it easier to leave the bed without a few rounds with the snooze button in the morning!

But what is your passion? You may be truly talented and do an a-m-a-z-i-n-g  job in many aspects of your role. However, we can do many things extremely well that are talents, learned skills and through practice. But that might be so far removed from your true passion.
It’s relatively easy for us to identify what our talents and best skills are. (Although for some cultures, Irish in particular since I know it too well) it may be a challenge for us to ‘brag’. However, asking others for input and feedback is one way to get around this. It’s often easier for others to see what we are skilled at and what we are their ‘go-to’ person for.

But let’s get back to your passion! What is it?

It took me years to find mine. Let’s round it down to the nearest decade, that makes it 20. My passion turned out to be far from where I started. In hindsight, I can see glimpses of it splattered throughout my career but finally it’s merging together. This may not be my destination but it does feel like an exciting chapter for the next 5 years at least!

We know that it’s the intersect between Talent, Business Opportunity and Passion that is the key to finding your successful career.

Often when we find our passion, we don’t immediately see the Business Opportunity so it may look like a dead end – the who’s going to want to pay me to do this ? dilemma. Or where you cannot see an opportunity within your current company right now.

I’m asking you to put those thoughts on hold.

Believe that you can have it all – that the intersect for YOUR passion, talent and a business opportunity for you to use them DOES exist.

It may not yet be on your radar.
Define what YOU are looking for:

– What are the characteristics of the role?
– What results or deliverables would you deliver to a business unit?
– If you could do a partial or temporary assignment in this area – what would you gain?

Put it out there:

– Talk to you manager about your passion as part of your career planning
– Network, link with others who are interested in your skills and passion

Steven Coveys Second habit of Effective People was to “Begin with the End in Mind”. This is how the best career plans are created.

Defining that sweet spot that is a business opportunity that uses your talents and passions is the end.

From that point of knowing, it’s reverse engineering some actions that will head you in that direction, to that destination.

Remember, that part of your success depends on tenacity, believe and buying into the fact that you will consciously create the opportunity, if it is indeed fueled by your passion.