Self-Assessment: Loving What You Do vs. Doing What You Love

Leading a long and successful career is a goal everyone strives for. Yet, not everyone gets to work in a field they genuinely enjoy. While career self-assessment and other strategies can help you reach your dream job, there is a clear difference between loving what you do and doing what you love.

Loving What You Do

Learning to love what you do for a living can be a powerful alternative to working in a career you love. But to do this, you must learn to change your perspective and understand the other side of the picture. Here are a few tips on starting your career self-assessment and loving what you do.

• Attain more play in your work, and more work in your play

  Look at your career path as something that adds value to your life than a means to an end. While you may not gain all the benefits right away, it can be something you can grow interested in learning more about

• Be more enthusiastic

  Having the passion for and loving what you do can be the push you need to hone your skills. Through career self-assessment, look at the different aspects of your job with an open mind. Over time, the enthusiasm will build on its own.

• Get out of your comfort zone

  Most people don't immediately love what they do because the field may be too complex. To get into the right mindset, step out of your comfort zone and explore things that can spark your enthusiasm to enjoy the job that you are doing.

• Build a valuable set of skills

  Having the right skills and honing your talents can be one of the fastest ways of learning how to love what you do. Regularly practice improving the quality of your work.

Doing What You Love

Being in a career where you get to do what you love most can be the best way to stay motivated throughout your journey. But for many people, this usually means having enough resources to help you achieve your goal, whether a fortune or income. Here's how you can differentiate doing what you love from loving what you do.

• Enjoyment in what you do

  When you're genuinely interested in a field, becoming motivated gets easier. There is a common interest in all aspects of your work, which can lead to continuous improvements.

• More fulfillment and productivity

  Feeling fulfilled with your role at work helps build a better connection and relationship with those around you. It can also help you understand your role and the value you contribute to society.

• Find your passion and inspire others

  Being passionate about doing what you love can help you connect with like-minded people. Your motivation can help others learn more about the field and get excited to share new ideas and concepts.

• Your job doesn't feel like one

  The saying "when you do what you love, you never work a day in your life" holds some truth. Having enthusiasm for your work can feel less stressful and help you lift your mood. In order to set the right mood with the job you have, approach it in a way that would spark your passion. Eventually, you'll find yourself doing what you love.

The Heart Wants What It Wants

Everyone wants to live life doing what they love and be in an environment where they can stay motivated. But sometimes, doing this is easier said than done.

Bringing the concept between loving what you do vs. doing what you love is a matter of how much you are willing to change your perspective. To help you in your career self-assessment and your job hunting journey, check out Career.com today.