Already a member?
Welcome to Brazen Careerist!
Matt Cheuvront is using Brazen Careerist to share ideas. Join now to become a member and start networking with Matt Cheuvront and other professionals just like you. Learn more.
Matt Cheuvront is using Brazen Careerist to share ideas. Join now to become a member and start networking with Matt Cheuvront and other professionals just like you. Learn more.
Do you feel it? That collective Gen Y voice telling you that in order to be happy you have to take a huge risk – that you MUST break away from the corporate world, that entrepreneurship is the way of enlightenment and by doing anything else, you’re settling for less than your worth.
We are so anxious (including myself) to preach that work/life balance is a myth – and the only way is to integrate the two into one happy passionate lifestyle where you absolutely love what you do every single day.
My question: Do you need to LOVE your job to be happy? To me, love is a strong word – a word that shouldn’t even be used for your work. Love your spouse, love your kids, love your dog; A job? That doesn’t require love. It requires commitment, dedication, hard work, maybe even passion – but not love. If you like you’re job – if you’re committed to doing good work, the rest will fall into place, and it won’t feel like “work”.
Growth is all that matters. If you’re growing and learning in everything you do, then you’re moving in the right direction, you’re taking steps toward where you ultimately want to be. If you’re not – then get out and find something that will help you grow (or change your attitude).
Attitude is an extremely powerful thing – some would say it’s everything. If you keep telling yourself that you’re stuck in a rut with no way out, you’ll ultimately always hold yourself back. But if your attitude is that you aren’t putting anything off – that you’re working your way toward achieving your goals and dreams, then you WILL get there. Keep working, continue networking and meeting new people, use the tools around you to your advantage, write, communicate, and continually shape and mold your reputation.
I’m not ready for the destination – I’m too young, too inexperienced, and interested in too many different things to settle down and focus on one. The destination is the end and I’m only a few steps from the starting line. Enjoy the journey.
Save your love for what really matters. When I move on from this life and leave this world, I’d much rather be remembered as a loving husband, an admirable father, and a good man before people say I was a hard worker and a successful entrepreneur. Welcome your career as a part of your life, but don’t let it BE your life. Let life be about living.
Matt, just wanted to THANK YOU for this post. I'm actually sitting at my desk totally unmotivated by the tasks at hand. Earlier today I read Penelope Trunk's blog post titled "How to Find the Right Job for You," and as inspiring as Penelope is it misses the mark for some Gen Y'ers. You can't reach the destination without the journey. I'm not necessarily interested in the things I've been asked to market but I'm also not sure WHAT I'm interested in specifically. I need the journey to get me there and to see what I'm capable of. You said it best, "If you’re growing and learning in everything you do, then you’re moving in the right direction, you’re taking steps toward where you ultimately want to be. If you’re not – then get out and find something that will help you grow (or change your attitude)."
Thank you for the point about the journey. I used to panic when I felt like I had to choose one path, one career. I want to do a lot of things! Passions and interests change, and I think that's what will keep you going.
:)
Megan - thank you for the kind words. Glad this post "hit home" with you. Please don't be a stranger - I extended a follow on Twitter and look forward to chatting more in the future!
Emily - If it's one thing I've learned, it's that life is very much a continually changing path. If you would have told me I would be where I am right now a year ago - I would have thought you were crazy. It's amazing how much our life changes, and at such a rapid pace. Enjoy the journey, embrace change, and roll with the punches, right?
I appreciate your points on journey and growth but you cant discount the difference in productivity and work-product quality between doing the work you love and the work you are stepping through to get to other places. The ethos of "do your best at whatever you're doing" and "enjoy the journey to where you want to be" is all good and well, but frankly, some journeys are better than others and if you can work hard at something you wake up every morning jazzed about, that you might even consider doing for free, that is the best journey.
Maybe I have bought too much into the green-pasture-hopping Gen-Y ethos, and maybe I've spent too much time among the dreamers of Silicon Valley, but I have lost a lot of sleep over work that I hated (convincing myself that the 'struggle' would 'grow' me in the right direction), and even more sleep lately over work I have loved - and believe me, the latter is better. Maybe there is more virtue in figuring out how not do do the things you don't want to do than in powering through them.
I put this all out there of course with a grain of salt - after all I didn't get where I am by doing mostly things I love, but I am working on changing that going forward. A final point, "commitment, dedication, hard work, maybe even passion" - aren't those also ways you exercise your "love" for your spouse, kids and dog?
Also, my little tirade aside, I appreciated this post, and your blog in general.
I completely agree, Matt, especially with your first point. Since childhood, we've been exhorted to love our jobs so much that if we don't, we get anxious and thing something is wrong--with us, with the job, whatever. It's called work for a reason. If everyone was expected to love their job, who would clean toilets? Drive garbage trucks? Flip burgers? There's nothing wrong with honest work that doesn't happen to make your heart flutter. And it's absolutely about the journey. Sometimes the slimy job teaches you more than the sparkly one.
Tariq - I can appreciate your approach - I simply view the "love" of a job to be much different than the "love" of a spouse or child. Tirade's are much appreciated, get the thoughts and ideas flowing! Cheers!
Elizabeth - GREAT point - "There's nothing wrong with honest work that doesn't happen to make your heart flutter" - I COMPLETELY agree. While that scenario may be ideal, it's not always going to be the case. Sometimes the means to an end can be just that, an efficient means to an end. Very insightful Elizabeth!
Matt while I think you spark good conversation with your post, I disagree with "shoulding" on people. There is no right answer to your question. Just b/c it works for you to focus on growing and learning, that is not what everyone wants, whatever their age or level of experience.
Rather than telling people what they should or shouldn't do, I believe it's up to each one of us to find our own answers. Soul search is critical before any kind of fruitful job search is possible. Perhaps it's because I am a career coach and have worked with thousands in my practice and through my SIRIUS XM radio show. But I have found each one of us has a unique set of passions, interests, talents, preferences and we are perfect for our ideal careers. If you haven't found that yet, it can seem hard to imagine but it is possible.
It's great that you have an approach to career that works for you. But people can love their work and that's okay too. There is a deeper level of meaning and contribution that people can experience when they do work that matters to them. It's where the concept of "life's work" comes from. Do what works for you but don't take away from others who have found a life's work that they love and are proud of.
Hi Maggie - first of all, great thoughts, you add a lot of value to the discussion and I really appreciate your perspective coming from someone with much more life and career experience than myself.
I re-read the post and I want to be clear that I am not "should-ing" on anyone here. That's why I explicitly end the title of this post with a question mark. I never claim to be someone who has all the answers - rather, I consider myself someone who seeks to spark engaging and thoughtful discussion, which is what is taking place here.
A little background on yours truly, since you and I have yet to formally be introduced :) - I am someone, not unlike many within my generation demographic, who seeks to find a career with MEANING. I currently am in the marketing field for a group who cares for special needs children, and away from the nine to five I do a significant amount of work with charity organizations and nonprofits. Overall, serving an "added bottom line" and being passionate about what I do is extremely important to me.
My point here is that there is a different kind of love placed on my career and my family, my fiance, and so on. I care about and love these parts of my life in an entirely different light than my job.
Again, my point here was not to dictate what you should and shouldn't love. This is very much a "to each his own" topic. But I think it did make a lot of people step back and think about their priorities and what matters most. Mission accomplished.
P.S. I would love to check out your radio show. What time/day/channel does it air?
Thanks for additional background Matt. It is a very thoughtful discussion you've started and one I plan to continue on my show today - 4pm EST SIRIUS 112/ XM 157. My show is called "Making a Living" and is more about inspiring people to do work they love rather than just collect a paycheck.
I'd love for you and your readers to tune in and join on the conversation on air. I plan to address this topic now that you've inspired me! The call in # is 866-675-6675 and a free trial of SIRIUS is available on the radio page of my website at: http://maggiemistal.com/radio.htm
To each his or her own and career happiness for all!
Really wish I could catch it Maggie - will be in my office - if it was a little later I could catch it on the ride home. But we will chat soon I'm sure!
I actually really love your last paragraph - particularly the part about letting life be about living. So much of life these days is consumed with what you owe someone else - Money, Time, Work commitments. We forget that everyone is busy owing someone, and few are taking a look on the inside.
Email
Print
