A friend of mine used to often say, “The right tool for the right job. You can use a screwdriver to pound in nails, but it’s a lot harder.” It’s true. When we apply the right tool, the job is a lot easier. But this article isn’t about tools. It’s about us.
While many of us learn to use the right tools for the job, we often don’t apply this same principle to ourselves. We take on work, projects, and jobs that don’t line up with our strengths. For example, we take on a position to manage an office, the office supplies, and shared conference rooms when we hate details. We take on a job to wait tables at a restaurant when we don’t like talking to people. We start a business selling soap because we’re told the money is good but we don’t particularly care for soap.
No wonder we hate our jobs. Most weeks we aren’t doing anything in an area of our strengths, we aren’t particularly passionate about what we’re doing, and we can’t wait until our shift is done. We’re burned out and all used up.
It’s like my friend said about the screwdriver, we can work this way, but it’s a lot harder. Instead, I want all of us to be working in our strengths at least a little bit every day. Even better, I want all of us to discover our calling which includes using our greatest strengths, our deepest passions in a way that makes a meaningful impact. With this type of living we will have lots of energy, joy and deep satisfaction.
Here are some questions we can ask to discover if we’re using our strengths on a task:
- Am I drained by this task, or does it give me energy?
- Do others seem to flow through the task while I struggle (and I’m not new doing it)?
- Do I look forward to the task, or do I dread it?
While I don’t fully believe the quote, “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life,” it’s close. There will always be tasks that just need to get done and we’re not particularly suited to it. But if we find work we love, we won’t be dominated by these types of tasks.
What about you? Have you found work you love? Tell us what you love about it?
