On May 7th, I wrote the following for coaching homework. The prompt was to write about the essence of my ideal job (not what I would be doing, but how I’d feel doing it and what it would give me):
At my job, I feel energized and inspired. I use my creativity, and keep learning and innovating. I feel competent, and see tangibly how I am helping other people. I feel joy and a sense of fun, like I am in the zone of what comes naturally to me. My job provides the right balance of structure and flexibility for me. I have time and energy for all the areas of life that are important to me. I can be myself with the people I work with, and feel appreciated for who I am. I receive generous compensation that reflects my value, with room for growth. My job helps me feel accomplished and fulfilled. I feel pride in what I do.
At the time that I wrote this, I was working with a life coach to help me figure out my next move, work-wise and life-wise. I felt stagnant and like I was dithering between different goals that seemed mutually incompatible. This exercise helped me gain clarity on how I wanted to feel in my work life.
Two weeks later, my then-supervisor announced her upcoming leave and within about ten days, I was taking over most of her job. I hadn’t realized until I was doing it, just how much I would love to be in more of a supervisory role. I didn’t make the connection to what I had written a few weeks previously. But unearthing it and rereading it a few days ago, I could not get over how much of it is now true. (The main thing that is not is the COMPENSATION which I don’t know will ever be where I want it to be at this job — although you never know!). But, in the short-term, it is truly amazing to see how much happier I am doing work that aligns with this description!
How would you describe your ideal job’s essence?
