Do You Love Your Job?

Let's stop pretending that a great job doesn't feel like work. Work isn't play, and many daily tasks aren't fun, even when you love your job. A gratifying career doesn't have to be exciting at every second, but it gives you the right balance of pride and pleasure to stay motivated. Sometimes, it's easy to mistake success for passion, but you can spot the difference with these telltale signs that you love your job.

You're Excited About Your To-Do List

When you love your job, you finish each day thinking about the cool projects you get to work on tomorrow. You don't care what anyone else thinks of your occupation; you're proud to use skills that make you feel capable and independent. Whether you enjoy interviewing entrepreneurs, operating machinery or teaching kids, you love planning the next workday because you get to use your strengths.

You Don't Sweat Your Weaknesses

You can have job satisfaction even when you loathe some aspects of your work. Happy professionals are good at compartmentalizing at work, so they can focus on what's important and still perform well on less interesting projects. Sometimes, that means accepting that you aren't good at everything and handing a task over to someone who can do a better job. At other times, you learn to use productivity tips to keep your energy high. Whatever the case, you don't let those dull moments hold you back or wreck your positive mentality.

You Have Uplifting Work Relationships

When you dread a job, it's easy to get caught in the blame cycle. You may hate your environment, give off bad vibes and resent others for their accomplishments, all of which cause you to feel wronged whenever a situation doesn't go your way. When you're happy and fulfilled at work, you reap the benefits of the praise cycle. You readily help others and exude cheerful energy. Everyone can tell you love your job, which makes them happy to support you. They even contact you for future opportunities after you move on to new employers. While you can still build strong relationships in a bad job, it's harder to make a good impression if you're chronically unhappy.

You Have a Brand

Even if you didn't realize it until now, you probably have an identifiable brand that makes people seek you out. Maybe you're Mrs. Fixit, Super Organizer or Idea Guy. Whatever it is, you have a specific talent, and people admire you for it. But beyond mere adoration, you love your job because it merges your passions with your strengths. You could be good at playing instruments, but have no interest in a music-related career. For long-term job satisfaction, you should look for roles involving skills you like to use even when you aren't getting paid.

If you don't love your job, it's wise to consider how you can leverage your existing skills to create a more satisfying career. Many types of professionals are involved in producing a single product or service, so you can use your knowledge and abilities to approach your industry from a new angle.

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