If you love what you do…..

Dear Cinnamon

Apr 18

Dear Cinnamon,
How do I find work that I love? I am in healthcare and want OUT. My desire is to own an online business, but no clue how to determine that. Thanks for your advisement!

Dear Reader,

We’ve all heard the quote right?

Choose a job you love and you’ll never have to work a day in your life. - Confucius

When I run into areas of my life that feel unfulfilling or unsatisfying, I start to get curious. What is it specifically that I am unhappy with? What need is not being met? What is the root cause of the dissatisfaction?

I have had a lot of jobs as an adult. I’ve worked at Target, Bank of America, Enterprise Rent-a-Car, a casino, HR at an Engineering firm, T-Mobile and a church and then I started my own business. I can think of things I loved and hated at each and every job, even running my own business. Although it is probably my favorite work I have done, it is also some of the absolute hardest…and of course I don’t like the hard stuff, but I understand why it’s necessary.

I would make an assumption, and granted…it’s an assumption, that there are things about your current work in healthcare you love as well. I don’t know the specifics, but most healthcare work requires specific schooling or training which implies intent at some point in your past to begin a career in that type of work. Which leads me to believe that maybe the things you dislike about it are now outweighing the things you like? Maybe, for the time being, there is a way to re-balance those scales?

My next question to you would be, what is it about having an online business that appeals to you? Be specific here!

Is it working from home? Is it the autonomy to make choices about how things are done? Is it the creative aspect of building something and selling it? There are many different types of online business so some research might be in order! Many people take their current skills/knowledge base and turn it into a successful online business, but that looks different for everyone. So you’ll need to figure out why you desire the online business world first and then start taking steps to determine what kind of business might make sense for you given your skills and background.

The big party pooper intertwined with all of this is, of course, money. There are many factors to consider here as well. Some people have more financial flexibility to attempt starting a business without the worry of mortgages or schooling to pay for. Others need to be more conscientious about savings and timing before they can jump in to creating their own business. Some have the ability to work on a side-hustle and build something at the same time they are maintaining their regular job.

There are many considerations when determining which direction to head to find work you love. The best overall advice that I can give you that you can implement today is to think carefully about what sorts of things bring you joy and fulfillment in general and then try to apply those things in the job you have now and the job you might have in the future. I can promise you that there is no perfect work out there no matter what gurus on instagram might tell you. Every single career path will present obstacles to overcome. The best way I have found to overcome those obstacles is all wrapped up in my attitude. That is the only thing I (and you) have full control over.

Good luck and I can’t wait to see what direction you head!