Finding Work That Matters to You

Most people spend 90,000 hours –  or a staggering one-third of their lives – at work. And those are people who have not signed on for the hours demanded of entrepreneurship. If you start your own business, you are looking at significantly more time invested. 

There is security and stability in the 9-5 corporate grind when working for others, but how do you know that what you are doing is right for you? 

Options for trying to make that discovery are endless: seminars, books, life coaches, podcasts. 

It is painfully easy to spot when we are in a situation that is absolutely wrong for us, but what if we are rather comfortable – settled? 

Career Coach Michael Thomas Sunnarborg defines his life’s work as “activities that fully use my strengths, talents, and experiences.”

“By focusing on refining my path for many years, I’ve come into better alignment with my purpose—and it continues to manifest itself in new opportunities all the time,” he wrote in a Huffington Post article. 

He further noted that happiness and appreciation can be found in any job with deliberate effort, focus and patience.

In a conversation with his friend and inspirational speaker David Mann, they discussed the term they created called “incremental manifestation” that comes from paying attention to their life’s work. 

“When we spent more time focused on doing the things we love, new and different opportunities manifested more quickly. But we still needed to remain patient,” he wrote. “Big things always happen one step at a time.” 

He noted there are six ways to find happiness and purpose in whatever you are doing: 

Focus on strengths

Do what comes naturally to you – and do more of it. “We have the greatest impact when we keep our sights set on where we shine,” he wrote.

Be clear 

Choose where to focus your attention and then become hyper-focused. Still keep the big picture in mind, but zero-in on your specific goals. 

Find what makes you happy – and do it  

This is a mark of intelligence, it is a strategic acceptance of human nature.  “Happiness is essential: it drives our attitudes, actions, and words. And when we feel good about something, our creative flow is engaged and new ideas come easily and effortlessly,” he wrote. 

Fully be your own unique and colorful self 

Your differences make you stand out, embrace them. “Stay focused, stay confident, and appreciate yourself, even when you feel nobody else can,” he noted. 

It’s not all about the money 

Do not let the potential income determine whether or not you will pursue your life’s work. There is a difference between intangible and tangible riches – and both have value. 

Embrace the process

As they say, Rome was not built in a day. Patience can help you understand what you need to do and that things happen in their own way and in their own time. 

“Our biggest and greatest accomplishments build incrementally over time,” he wrote. “If you can learn to develop patience for the process, before you know it, your life’s work will reveal itself to you.”

The power of educated action in life and business

Ah, the complexities of business. To buy? To sell? What is the market looking like? How will inflation impact everything? Should the business plan be revised or tossed out the window? Running, selling or buying a business continually has levels of complexity. It seems human thought lingers in the areas of extremes: patience or action; to wait or to take the leap. 

I come from a different school of thought. I believe we should do both. What of the middle path? A person who takes action too quickly is often made a fool. While a person sits around and waits is left in a cloud of dust as everyone leaves them behind. 

Educated action is what I call it. Do the research, ponder for a while, but then be decisive.  

The problem is that many people get stuck in the pondering phase. 

As founder of Serve and Lead Chris Shilling, who is an author, speaker, consultant, and leadership coach notes:“One average idea put into action is far more valuable than 20 genius ideas that are being saved.” 

He outlines what he calls “The Action Habit” in one of his blogs that explains the “7 Proven Ways to Move From Deciding to Doing.” 

That is the crux of life and business, isn’t it? Deciding to do something and actually doing it are two very different things. Look at the people who buy gym memberships every year for New Year’s resolutions and never step into the gym for the rest of the year after January and maybe a couple of weeks into February. 

Decisions only have value when they are followed by consistent action. 

Shilling’s Way #1: Stop waiting until conditions are perfect.

There is no such thing as perfection; waiting for perfection means you will wait forever without progress. 

 

“There will always be something that is not right or could be better. There is no perfect time; there is only the present time,” he writes. Take action and adjust as needed as you achieve forward progress, he explains – the perfect time to start was last year, but the second best time to start is now. 

 

Schilling’s Way #2: Stop,  get up,  and do it.

Become a doer. If you hit pause for too long, you lose motivation and allow for too much doubt to enter your mind. 

 

Schilling’s Way #3: Stop over-thinking things

 

Here is where I differ with him a bit in mindset. I believe analysis is essential to sound decision making. However, he is right that over-thinking can produce the “paralysis of analysis.” 

 

Sometimes it is better to go with gut instinct when starting to feel overwhelmed and immobilized by thought. 

 

Schilling’s Way #4: Take continuous action.

Keep the momentum on your side. Do “something productive related to your idea every day,” he writes. Little tasks add up and bolster confidence. 

 

Schilling’s Way #5: Use your action to overcome fear.

 

Action can become a balm for fear. The willingness to face the things that scare us can build confidence and prime us for success. 

 

Schilling’s Way #6: Focus on the present.

It is wise to focus on what can be done right now instead of perpetually reflecting on the missed opportunities of the past or other opportunities too far into the future. 

 

Schilling’s Way #7: Eliminate the distractions.

“Focus in and drown out the distractions,” he writes. “and you will gain momentum from your production.”

 

Educated action. Think, but then do. Do not become fearful, complacent or distracted. Focus, work and have faith in your abilities.

5 Ways to Become a Better Leader

If you have the notion, ambition, and capital to plan and follow-through with starting a new business, you’ve only taken the first few steps. To scale and achieve longevity, you have to lead intelligently.  

It’s not enough to hold the title of a leader. The way you lead needs to be efficient for today’s lightspeed working pace, human-centric but in step with technology, and flexible enough to satisfy the ever-changing face of the gig economy. 

Here are some ways you can improve your leadership skills and make yourself more effective as a leader.

1. Be a nurturer, not a tyrant

Your team members shouldn’t be afraid to talk to you. If they are, you may become dissociated with what’s going on in your area. You will also foster resentment and risk losing your best people. Keep an open door policy so people feel welcome to approach you with concerns. Providing an open and warm attitude line of communication so people feel like they can come to you is critical and will help you stay informed. Praise in public, criticize in private. And aim to support, not control.

2. Encourage Growth

Invest your time as a leader in promoting growth for your team members, personally as well as professionally. Have emotional intelligence and stay connected with those under you in a genuine way.

Being a cheerleader is good, but providing resources for people to learn, and caring about the job (and life) trajectory of your employees, is great. Hire people smarter than you. Don’t shy away from the front lines. And never veto an opportunity for expansion.

3. Have crystal clear expectations.

Your team should have a clear idea of your visions and end-game goals. You don’t want your workers expending their efforts on something that you don’t consider important toward achieving your business goals because you were unclear about what you seek to accomplish. 

Set well-defined, attainable goals for your employees and yourself. Touch base with your team sporadically by holding regular team meetings. Use the time to update your staff about what is and isn’t working in terms of meeting benchmarks, and try to always be transparent about your vision so there’s less chance of misunderstandings later.

4. Be open to new ideas and change.

As a leader, you should value your team. Welcome their constructive criticism about the way things are done, including feedback about your own performance as a leader. Keep abreast of the micro and macro workings and changes going on around you.

If a team member feels like something isn’t working, they should feel comfortable telling you, and confident you will take appropriate steps to remedy the situation, or at least take an intentioned, open-minded look at their concerns.

5. Don’t boss, coach.

Your individual team members can’t improve their own performance if all you do is make demands and bark orders. Teaching is a little trickier than being a bossy boss, but it will produce the actual results you may have kept demanding before, ironically. 

Give a man a fish, and you have fed him once. Teach him how to fish and you have fed him for a lifetime. That old axiom applies to business principles, too. The more your employees understand not only how to do their job, but why they are doing it that way, the more engaged, autonomous and happy they will become. Eventually, that will show up in the metrics.

With great power comes great responsibility. As a child we are told to treat others as we would like to be treated. The way you treat others has a domino effect on your organization, and you are the first domino to be nudged. It comes with the territory. You are a leader, not a figurehead. So if you want to be a good leader, expect that nudge to come. Be ready to go, and point yourself in the right direction. The resulting cascade effect will be a positive event for everyone.