1553: Are People Who Have Their Dream Jobs More Productive by Laura Stack of The Productivity Pro on Boosting Efficiency

[00:00:00] This is Optimal Work Daily. Are People Who Have Their Dream Jobs More Productive by Laura Stack of TheProductivityPro.com.

[00:00:09] Do productive people always have their dream jobs? No. Are you more productive when you enjoy what you're doing and are happy in your work? Yes.

[00:00:17] So, do you find your work fulfilling? Or are you just going through the motions to pay the bills? What if you're in a job that is a springboard to the next one?

[00:00:25] That's fine. There's a difference between everyday annoyances and unsettling, deep malcontent. Life's too short to keep a job that makes your stomach hurt.

[00:00:34] As they say, do what you love and the money will follow. So, how do you know if you're in your dream job?

[00:00:40] 1. Make a list of your dreams. You may have only one, or you may have several. Some may be really big and some may be small.

[00:00:48] Like, I want to make jewelry and sell it online. I want to be a meteorologist. I want to start my own pension consulting business.

[00:00:56] 2. Make a list of your passions. What do you love? Singing? Playing guitar? Photography? Is there a dream job in there somewhere?

[00:01:04] 3. Make a list of your core values. Is it important to you to have ample time to enjoy life?

[00:01:12] 4. Make a list of what you're naturally good at and love to do. Teaching people how to play tennis? Working with animals?

[00:01:22] 5. Decluttering homes and offices? Cooking French cuisine? Is there a dream job in there somewhere?

[00:01:27] Now, why don't you do it? Perhaps you're afraid you won't make any money.

[00:01:31] Perhaps you're afraid to leave a high-paying job in search of a more fulfilling one.

[00:01:35] Perhaps you're afraid you'll fail. Whatever the reason, fear is a real energy drain.

[00:01:40] It will paralyze you, lock you up, and keep you in the status quo.

[00:01:44] If you are to find your purpose and experience the flow, you will have to muster the courage to fight it off.

[00:01:50] Happiness is not all about money. You could have a BMW, a home with four bathrooms,

[00:01:55] your kids attend the best schools that money can buy, and your wife looks like a supermodel.

[00:02:00] But perhaps you're still unhappy and you can't figure out why.

[00:02:02] As Stuart Goldsmith says in his book, The Seven Secrets of Success,

[00:02:07] Quote,

[00:02:08] Becoming wealthy has little to do with buying a bunch of silly toys.

[00:02:11] You have to be a very sad individual if this is the limit of your imagination.

[00:02:15] How much champagne can you drink? How many Rolexes do you need?

[00:02:19] How big a wardrobe of clothes will satisfy you?

[00:02:22] This is all junk. They're toys. Harmless baubles to amuse us for five minutes.

[00:02:27] Attaining these toys is not the purpose of a noble life.

[00:02:30] End quote.

[00:02:31] He adds,

[00:02:32] Quote,

[00:02:33] Happiness comes from leading a worthwhile life and producing something of quality and value.

[00:02:38] Sitting around in a mansion and staring at your Porsche will not make you happy.

[00:02:42] End quote.

[00:02:43] It's quite normal and understandable for people to want a lot of money.

[00:02:46] Having a lot of money, especially in a capitalistic society, is equivalent to having plenty.

[00:02:51] This is an instinctive evolutionary drive.

[00:02:54] Of course, you don't want to have to walk 20 miles with your Neanderthal club in hand to find a food source.

[00:03:00] But in a capitalistic society such as ours that's brimming with shiny things,

[00:03:04] this perfectly reasonable drive morphs into greed.

[00:03:07] And before you know it, we equate money and things with happiness.

[00:03:10] But it's not money in and of itself that makes us happy.

[00:03:13] It's the freedom that money provides that opens a big wide door to the land of happiness.

[00:03:18] In other words, if we're not living hand to mouth, we have the time to pursue what we truly love,

[00:03:23] whether that's writing a novel, volunteering full-time for a homeless shelter,

[00:03:27] or having time to watch the sun set every single evening.

[00:03:30] How much did you spend on your most recently acquired, boast-worthy possession?

[00:03:34] What if you were to take that same amount of money and donate it to a charity that feeds the hungry?

[00:03:39] Can you picture the poverty-stricken child whose face lights up when she receives a week's worth of hot meals?

[00:03:45] Which brings you more happiness, the possession or the child with a full stomach?

[00:03:49] How do you like to make the world a better place?

[00:03:51] Helping people overcome illness?

[00:03:53] Working with the mentally handicapped?

[00:03:55] Teaching people how to exercise?

[00:03:57] If I looked at the way you spend your time, would I be able to tell what's important in your life?

[00:04:01] The majority of people spend far too much time working and not enough time with their loved ones.

[00:04:07] Then they arrive home and have no energy left to devote to their spouse or children.

[00:04:11] They take the day's problems out on the people they love, the entire reason they're working in the first place.

[00:04:16] You say your family is important to you.

[00:04:18] Can people tell you value them by the way you spend your time?

[00:04:21] You say your significant other is the most important thing in the world.

[00:04:25] How much time have you spent spending time with them versus spending time working?

[00:04:29] You say your spirituality is important, but how much time do you spend praying, reading, meditating, attending services, volunteering, or whatever reflects your beliefs?

[00:04:39] Is it merely an outside facade?

[00:04:41] Say and do the same thing.

[00:04:43] Be congruent.

[00:04:45] Or just stop saying it and be yourself.

[00:04:47] To be in alignment with your values, what you say and what you do should be the same.

[00:04:52] Bottom line?

[00:04:53] Adjust your career and your life balance so your time reflects what matters to you most.

[00:04:57] Put some metrics on your priorities.

[00:05:00] Companies measure their results and you should measure yours.

[00:05:03] Spending time with my family is my greatest pleasure in life.

[00:05:06] Work is just my hobby.

[00:05:07] I only want to be out of town five nights per month.

[00:05:10] I want to eat dinner at home 25 days per month.

[00:05:13] I want to take six weeks of vacation each year.

[00:05:16] I work no more than 45 hours per week, although I could easily work 100.

[00:05:21] Keeping track of my behavior each month makes me accountable.

[00:05:24] I know immediately whether my schedule is meshing with my priorities and my values.

[00:05:28] These figures are in front of me as a constant reminder of what I'm trying to accomplish with my life.

[00:05:33] Assess how you're spending your time.

[00:05:35] What are you doing with it?

[00:05:36] Watching TV?

[00:05:37] Flipping through magazines?

[00:05:39] What would you rather be doing?

[00:05:40] What are your metrics going to be?

[00:05:42] What do you want your epitaph to say?

[00:05:44] He had a well-mowed lawn?

[00:05:46] There wasn't one speck of dust in her house?

[00:05:48] His Porsche was really shiny.

[00:05:51] Do, don't dream.

[00:05:56] You just listened to the post titled,

[00:05:58] Are People Who Have Their Dream Jobs More Productive?

[00:06:01] by Laura Stack of the ProductivityPro.com

[00:06:04] And I want to thank Laura Stack for letting us share her work here today.

[00:06:08] She is an award-winning keynote speaker and the best-selling author of eight books.

[00:06:13] Her engaging personality combined with over 25 years of experience helping organizations achieve results

[00:06:19] have made her one of the most sought-after experts and keynote speakers in her field.

[00:06:23] And we actually feature her work frequently on Optimal Living Daily since that show covers primarily productivity.

[00:06:29] So you can hear more from her there as well.

[00:06:32] And Laura's been featured in the New York Times, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur, and Forbes Magazine.

[00:06:39] And has been a spokesperson for Microsoft, Danone, 3M, Office Depot, Xerox, and more.

[00:06:45] And there is so much to learn from her, so much great content.

[00:06:48] Just come by theproductivitypro.com for a lot more.

[00:06:52] She has her videos, books, store, newsletter, and blog all right there for you.

[00:06:57] Again, that's theproductivitypro.com

[00:07:00] And thanks again to Laura for letting us share her work.

[00:07:03] But I think that does it for today.

[00:07:04] I thank you so much for being a subscriber and being here with me each and every day.

[00:07:08] Hope you're well, hope you're having a great week, and I'll see you back here tomorrow where your optimal life awaits.