About a year ago, before I had transitioned to coaching and was working as a full-time employee, a local coffee shop was holding a raffle for a free lunch. I picked up an entry slip to enter the drawing, and smiled when I saw what it said:
I HATE MY JOB BECAUSE....._________________
My first reaction was a chuckle - and indeed several possible answers leapt to mind.
But immediately following my initial chuckle was another reaction: sadness. How sad is it that dissatisfaction with our jobs is so endemic that we run contests about it?
I decided then and there to make a list of things I liked about my job (paid employment):
- It pays the bills, with some left over for non-necessities
- It challenges my intellect
- People appreciate what I do and how I do it
- Most of the people there are fun (I complain about the ones that aren't, but the fact is, most of them are great people, who keep their sense of humor amidst the storms)
- I get a significant amount of paid time off
- I have great bosses
- I learn something new almost every day
And I also listed what I like about my new "job" (coaching):
- I love that moment when people really relax, and let go of the angst that's been holding them hostage, and see the way forward
- I feel blessed to be able to facilitate self-discovery
- It engages my whole self - body, mind and spirit
- I never know what is going to happen next (but it's almost always amazing)
- It allows me to use my whole brain, not the just scholarly left brain
- I meet new people all the time
- I get to help people connect to their best selves, and work and live from that place, with a sense of spaciousness and ease and flow even as they get more done.
