Dear friends,
I found myself in the meditation mode not long ago and the object of my rumination was why some people seem to derive so much fun in their jobs – bubbling in their productivity therein – while some only do the required rounds, watch the clock and tick the day.
I know this is a much-discussed issue in the career industry worldwide, with various postulations and sophisticated theories. So, I was under no illusion that I was going to come up with a groundbreaking solution that would land me a Nobel Prize for solving a nagging human problem. However, the Pilot of my flight of consciousness was not discouraged but kept on conducting me to a point where I was able to capture some bits on what usually separates an excited worker from a placid one.
The distinguishing factor is interest – borne out of the natural configuration of each individual. It is a fact that we are not all wired the same way; even identical twins may not have identical emotional sparks. Therefore, individual interest plays an important role in job gratification, which in turn results in productivity. That does not discountenance some external or psychological variables that may facilitate or hinder job performance, such as remuneration, work environment, and self-esteem, to mention a few.
So, on the fulcrum of interest only, I came up with the following 10 submissions that will help an individual to ascertain what kind of job s/he is naturally cut out for, and if s/he is presently engaged in one. I’m not sure the list below can be described as authoritative, neither is it exhaustive; so, I’ll welcome inputs from you guys.
Ok, now to the titbits: how do you identify the job you are naturally cut out for or ascertain the one you are doing now is it?
1. You will enjoy doing what you do, and it won’t be a drag or drudgery to you.
2. Time will not be “of the essence”, and you will not be watching it, since you can start whenever you like and end whenever you like. I agree that this one may be a hard pill for the apostles of structure to swallow. But, check it out in the lives of those who are all fired up about their job.
3. You flow seamlessly into the work, with minimal or no friction anytime, any day, and in most places. You also hand off your work with a teeny feeling of reluctance, but a soothing sense of accomplishing something.
4. You are doing something by which people generally hail you or associate you whenever they see you or thoughts of you pop up on their mind.
5. Money is not a major consideration for doing what you are doing. Although it is a necessity of life and a viable motivation factor, your primary drive is derived from your sheer involvement in and satisfaction with what you are doing.
6. You want to learn all you can about the vocation, or certain aspects of it where you feel you can still be better.
7. You want to make everyone who comes into contact with you an artisan in the vocation. You want to teach them, help them, guide them, and/or instruct them on how to do it. And you will be willing to do all these, even at no fee.
8. You want to passionately defend, justify, or clarify certain notions about the vocation, or its operational aspects, that you feel is wrongly bandied or misconstrued by people.
9. You are agitated when you see people who are similarly engaged doing the same work the way it ought not to be done, either by underperforming, under-delivering, or not conforming to certain norms and standards pertaining to it.
10. You eagerly look forward to getting up from bed every day you have to work to get on the task or an assignment you have in hand. And you won’t mind sleeping late engaged in what you are doing. In the event you are busy doing something else, you are not so excited and you can’t wait to be done with it to get back to your love vocation.
Like I mentioned, this list is neither authoritative nor exhaustive. You may be presently engaged in the job you are naturally cut out for and not find yourself in any of the above bits. We will like to learn your own slant to this.
Babatunde Oladele
Cheers!
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