Nick Powills: When You Don’t Get to do What You Love, Do This

We don’t always get to do what we love, so we need to try to love what we do.

That saying is extremely powerful to me.

Although I would argue that I love what I do 80 percent of the time, the other 20 needs to be given the same care. Life is too short to not love what we do.

I have preached this message to anyone who has not worked out to be a fit at our company. I encourage them to find what equals happiness in their careers – either by learning to love what they currently do or by making a change and loving what they do next.

From a recruitment standpoint, we try to approach it with as much honesty as we can to try to set people up to love what they do with us. Transparency is only valuable if it’s retained. Some say they could love what they do at our company simply to get to a yes (media relations takes a special talent to be successful at it).

Are you happy or unhappy in your current situation? What prevents you from either having a discussion with your manager to help find happiness within the restraints of your position or to help you decide if it’s the career path you want?

The only one you can blame for your happiness or lack of happiness in what you do is you. Once you realize that, you can start making sure you find happiness in what you do.

While the saying is about love, I think it is more about happiness. Life is about the pursuit of happiness – in people and in business. And when you taste it, you never want to not feel that feeling again.

Happiness is also contagious. Businesses need to invest in their culture – and more importantly, the protection of it.

Great businesses are made up of great people who follow a great process who push a great product. Without the first, you can’t get to the second.

In this good economy, you owe it to yourself to find your happiness – both for your well-being and for the well-being of those you work with.

You can find that happiness if you really want to.