With the tassel still hanging on the right side of their caps, the class of 2016 listened to the words of those who have come before them. This year J.K Simmons, Matt Damon, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Larry Ellison delivered moving commencement speeches. Their summary? “Do what you love!”
The message is not just relevant for the graduates. We all want to enjoy our work more. But…
“I have three children and a mortgage.”
“I’ve been here 9 years and my pension is about to vest.”
“I think this company is really going to turn around. Why leave?”
Ask a 2016 graduate about this list of real life concerns and it sounds like excuses. Ask a boomer about this list and they see real challenges that contradict the notion of doing what they love. Both are correct. We commonly create a false binary between leaving the job we are in for something we would love more, or staying in the job that is less than enjoyable because of the tangible benefits it brings us. This binary is not helpful and often stands in the way of meaningful action.
In previous posts we’ve made the case (as has endless amounts of research) that doing what you love has long-term benefits for yourself, our workplaces, and even our economy. But realistically, with so many more tangible responsibilities in front of us, what action can we take to love our work? We see three options: ROOT, SUPPLEMENT, or LEAP.
Root
When we are unhappy in our current job we look at job listings, LinkedIn requests, and networking events as a means of escape. We believe that the grass is greener elsewhere. But perhaps as our eyes have wandered for greener pastures, we have missed the things we could enjoy in our current context. The old adage, “Bloom where you’re planted” may have merit here. Especially if the alternative to quitting and leaving is quitting and staying, and becoming a victim of your company’s deficiencies. You can actually find more of what you love in your work if you root down where you are. What was it that drew you to the job and organization in the first place? Has some disillusionment obscured seeing the potential in front of you? This means creatively and strategically identifying things that you love or value in the work itself, or ways to influence the environment toward what you want it to be. Bored of filling out the same project management template? Take note of the ways in which your organization adds value or notice how your positivity connects disparate colleagues. Frustrated by what feels like a cold or soulless corporate environment? You could advocate for the creation of more innovative products, invite your colleagues to happy hour to strengthen team collegiality, or show your customers more kindness and generosity. Tired of the lackadaisical culture? You could show up early and encourage others to do the same, engage your colleagues in a mindfulness practice, or ask your manager if you could organize weekly events that encourage professional development. Author and Wharton School professor, Adam Grant, calls this “Job Crafting.” He says, “a couple of colleagues and I studied this at Google and we found that there were all sorts of ways that they could make modifications to their own jobs that made them more meaningful, more motivating, and still allowed them to be very effective.” If we are honest with ourselves there are always opportunities for job crafting but this is often more difficult (because of politics, perceived lack of authority, etc.) than dreaming of leaving for something seemingly more rewarding.
Supplement
Not all workplaces or managers will be interested in making space for your “rooting.” An alternative pathway is to donate your skills to nonprofits, churches, or agencies that can make good use of your particular skills and experiences. As we have written about before, living your purpose is something you need to see holistically. An occupation is just one location of your vocation. Your job is 40 hours a week. Maybe it needs to stay that way and you can use the other time available to you to do what you love. This is especially relevant if your passion is not necessarily a skill. It’s all well and good to want to activate your passion through the work you do. But if you have a passion for something you actually have little aptitude for, you could end up very passionate while starving. Balance what you are passionate about doing with what you are actually good at doing. For many, those things are compatible. But don’t assume aptitude and the ability to earn a living at something will follow just “doing what you love” as so many cliché commencement addresses have advised. Supplementing may allow you to do what you love, and also do what you are good at.
Leap (with calculation)
Perhaps it is time to make the leap toward a different position, organization, or industry that is more in line with your passion and purpose. If you feel like it is time to draw upon your skills, knowledge, expertise, influence, and networks to launch a new effort…don’t quit your day job. It sounds counter intuitive, doesn’t it? In his most recent book, Originals, Adam Grant suggests that some of the most original thinkers and entrepreneurs of our day actually enabled the future success of their organizations by not jumping too early. These entrepreneurs, like the founders of Warby Parker, actually maintained other streams of income and even had occupational back up plans. It is Grant’s estimation that this derisks the early stages of a start-up and helps the entrepreneur risk, fail, and recalibrate. The same could be true of changing positions or organization. Allowing space for exploration while still in your current position, allows for a more calculated leap. So rather than giving your two weeks now so you can go find the job, organization, or start-up that truly matches what you’re passionate about, consider how you can design your time to both look to the future and keep one foot in the present.
We should heed the words of our commencement presenters. They have deep experience and can speak to how they have succeeded and what lessons they wish they’d have had. But we must also be cautious to not confuse doing what we love with NOT doing what we are doing now. There is a time for rooting, supplementing, and leaping and there is great wisdom in knowing when it is time for which.