Are you Really Enjoying your Job?
manuelita otero
Nowadays, women from all over the world are going through a historical moment. We are doubling, if not tripling, our responsibilities.
Besides the traditional role of mothers and homemakers, which we have held proudly for years, we are also business women, activists, full time or part time workers, leaders, project managers, writers, athletes and volunteers, just to mention a few of the many roles we play. Not only are we exploring new careers and activities, we mustn’t forget all the things we want to do with and for our children, husband or partner, friends, and family members.
Work has become a priority for millions of women around the globe, and many of them will say it without fear or apologies. So, if work has become such an important part of our lives, why not make it an enriching, interesting, passionate, and enjoyable experience?
I know there are many women reading this invitation, thinking that they already do; there also may be many saying: “Yes, of course, if it was as easy as it sounds”; “You just don’t know my boss”; or “Try to be happy with the salary I get”. There are many aspects in our job that are out of our control. Maybe you want to change your boss, your office, your clients or your computer. The good news is there are things in your job that you have control over, such as the value and respect that you are giving yourself, respecting the work you do, not being so hard on yourself, and giving the best that you can give. How many things are you doing to enjoy your job?
I don’t believe in the world's standards of a great worker. He or she must be: organized, disciplined, responsible, always on time, positive, visionary and so on. On the contrary, every day I find more people that don’t comply with all those qualities, yet they have others that make them just as productive. The book “Go Put Your Strengths to Work” by Marcus Buckingham, a well-known business consultant, invites us to identify our strengths and work even more in those areas, that way we can use our natural talents to shine instead of spending a life trying to improve our weaknesses. It is not about ignoring our weaknesses, it is about prioritizing.
I am not the right person to tell you that “you are worth a lot in your job” or that “your job is a treasure and you need to take care of it” but YOU are the right person to discover and declare how valuable you are. As a person and an employee, you need to know and respect your talents; YOU are the one who can define if you want to focus on your strengths; you are the one who can decide if you want to do something big or small; you are the one who decides whether you want to feel better at a job in which you dedicate a significant amount of time.
Many times we hear those who love us say we are “killing ourselves” over a job. I wonder if working hard is what “kills” us, or if it is the quality, the conditions, and the attitude we have at work that truly affect us.
By Ana