The Difference Between a #8216;Job#8217; and a #8216;Passion#8217; Â and How to Find Your Passion

The Difference Between a 8216Job8217 and a 8216Passion8217 and How to Find Yur Passion There are three general approaches to work having a job, having a career, and having a passion. I presume that most of us are looking forpassions that can also equate towell-paying careers/jobs.Does finding your passion have to mean finding amillion-dollar job? Not necessarily. Your nightmare job could be another persons passion, and vice versa. Finding your passion isa matter of what you value.For instance, my mother-in-law is the worlds most amazing nurse. She worked hard to become one, and she loves every day of her job. Despite the many downsides (constant re-certifications, the emotional toll it can take when patients dont make it, and the 12-15 hour shifts), nursing is her passion. But for me? Those things would be a nightmare.So, how do you find your own passion? Start by taking these seven elements into consideration1. Self-AwarenessGet to know yourself. Wha t are the best moments youve experienced at work that really made you love your job? What is it that you value enough to leave your job for? Are you among the 49 percent of employees who feel the need to leave their employers when theyre ready for a promotion?Are you part of the27 percent of employees who would quit a job for a standort offering creative freedom?Knowing what you value willprevent you from wasting time onjobs you shouldnt even bother with and point you in the direction of positions you should strive for. If you find it difficult to assess your values, take a career-matching assessment to closely define your personal and professional values. They say you cant manage what you dont measure, and that definitely applies to your career.2. Challenging WorkIf youre stuck performing the same tasks every day, your job will go stale and fast. Giving yourself a challenge every once in a while, on the other hand, can add some much-needed space to your daily grind.Set goals for y ourself (or amongyour coworkers, if youre the competitive type)ask to take ontasks in a department youve never worked in (you might find passion in untouched territories) ask your boss if you can start a special project that might give you the chance to use some of your untappedskills or gather some reading materials on your current position to see if theres something you could be doing differently to be a mora efficient worker.Whatever it is you need to do to challenge yourself, youll likely be surprised by the results it produces in terms of your passion. If you find yourself hating something you once loved, try conquering something you didnt think you could when you first started the position.3. Environmental VarietyThis element may require some creativity, depending on therestrictions you may face in your role. For example, if your job is pretty stationary, try working on an exercise ball, from the lunch room, or outdoors if the option is available to you.You dont have to overex ert yourselfto bring some feng shui to the workplace. Simply cleaning off your desk and bringing order toyourworkspace could be enough to cleanse your mind.Justhaving a small plant on your desk can boost your productivity by 15 percent.Anything you do to break out of your environmental norms can help freshen your perspective.Maybe finding a new placeto work in will spark innovative thoughts and inspire new ideas. AtRed Branch Media, we change desks every month or so, and it always gets our creative juices flowing.4. A Positive AttitudeIts hard to be optimistic if you allow every obstacle you come across to make you angry. And sure, I could just tell you to become an optimist, but thats hard to do when youre feeling depressed or frustrated at work.Flipping the switch that allows you to reframe these daily hassles as learning experiences is difficult, but adopting a more positive perspective willhave great results. Remember that life is never going to be perfect,and getting upset by s etbacks wont change that.Dont dwell on obstacles.Instead, work with them and learn from them. Think rationally, act mindfully, and seechallenging situations for what they arechallenges that give you the opportunity to stretch yourself.5. Providing Yourself With OptionsThe keeping your options open mindset can keep you fromgiving intoanxiety-driven the grass is definitely greener on the other side thinking. Instead of feeling stuck, keep your options open by doingthe followingFrequently update your resume.Keep a list of accumulating accomplishments and achievements.Sign up fora job board newsletter or app that will notify you of new jobs in fields that interest you.Sometimes this emergency kit is all you need to combat the anxiety of feeling stuck at your job.6. Maintaining BalanceJob commitment is attractive to employers, and now that our smartphones and mobile devices allow us to receive emails at all hours of the day, its very easy for us to always be on. Is this okay? Some days, you need to answer that emergency email at 7 PM, but its dangerous and unhealthy to do this on a regular basis.Set parameters for yourself. What circumstances callfor that late-night email response, and which fires can wait for the morning? There are endless benefits ofworking from home, including boosted productivity (reported by 86 percent of those who work from), higher efficiency (30 percent), and lower stress levels (82 percent). All of these factors give us rose-colored glasses that allow us to ignore the cons of workingfrom home.Keep your sanity. Clock your eight hours, take a 30, and respond only to absolute emergencies after hours. Set your parameters and stick to them to maintain that work-life balance everyones all hyped about.7. A Sense of PurposeTwenty-eight percent of workers derive their sense of purpose from work, so youd best make it count. Think about your companys mission. Most of the time, its to help others do somethingeasier, faster, more efficiently, etc. What do you love about that mission? If you dont love your companys bottom line, you might need to start job hunting. In the past, we have had a lot of skilled, smart, talented people on staff at Red Branch Media who just werentthat into B2B marketing. Thats okayHalf of your workplacepassion comes from the company and its values, and the other half comes from you finding your own valuesand leveraging your skills and passions for the companys goals. Find your passion, cater to it, andmake sure you have a job that channels that passion.Maren Hogan is thechief marketing brain atRed Branch Media.