HRM Five: Achieving true job satisfaction and success

Everywhere you look, someone is willing to sell you the secrets to success. The question is, do you want the brand of success they’re selling?

Our culture obsesses over life and job satisfaction, and that’s a good thing. It’s important that we consider our goals and what’s important to us. But satisfaction is not “one size fits all”.

That’s why you need to reflect deeply on what success and job satisfaction mean to you. Success is a deeply personal metric, and every individual needs to know what it means to them before they go out and grab the bull by its horns.

People often enter a career path believing it will bring them satisfaction, but later realize their values have shifted as they’ve gained new experiences. There are many triggers for a change in values, such as getting married, ageing, or discovering a new calling. As we enter new life seasons, we re-evaluate what matters.

With the right mindset, you can find satisfaction at any job, says Bob Dickie, president of Crown Financial Ministries. Here’s how:

Stay Faithful 

If you’re struggling in your work, re-evaluate the lens through which you view your life. No matter what your job or calling, you should do it earnestly and wholeheartedly because all of our efforts contribute to a greater career plan.

Change Your Perspective 

If you feel bored or disengaged at your job, take a step back. What purpose are you serving? Who are you helping? How do your clients benefit from the actions you take every day? Connecting your daily tasks to a bigger purpose will revitalize your work and give meaning to your career.

Don’t Compare Yourself to Other People 

Be vigilant about avoiding the comparison trap. Once you’ve defined, or redefined, what success means to you, use only that metric to gauge your success.

Set Personal Goals 

When you’re feeling unmotivated at work, seek out new challenges. If you work on commission, set a higher bar for your earnings this quarter. If you want to learn a new skill, enrol in an online learning course or professional development programme and get started. Then map out a plan for integrating that skill into your daily activities.

Deal With Your Interpersonal Problems 

It’s been said that people don’t quit jobs, they quit bosses. But they also quit managers and co-workers.

Before you start resenting your work, ask yourself whether people problems may be influencing your professional experience. An unresolved conflict with a boss or colleague can really sour the work environment, especially if you’ve been avoiding honest communication about the problem.

These five steps may feel overwhelming at first, especially if you’re beginning a new season and are trying to discern your purpose. But you don’t have to tackle them all at once. You might take the step that resonates most at this moment. Or you might dive into the area that’s most emotionally challenging.