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.”
