Yesterday I wrote about how some jobs that many people consider desirable are actually overrated if you take a closer look at what it is really like to have them. Earlier this month, my colleague Stephanie Romero wrote about a list of the most depressing jobs. I have one job from each of those lists, yet I can honestly say that I love what I do for work. In my opinion, the key to being able to love your work no matter what list or lists it appears on is finding work that fits you well.
In order to find work that fits you well, it is helpful to begin looking with an open mind. There may be no job out there that looks just right the way that it is initially presented to you. It is important that if a profession interests you, you examine it closely to see whether there is a way that you can design a job for yourself in that profession that fits you better than the positions that are offered by other people. This is especially applicable to people who want to work from home – there are a limited amount of home based jobs available, yet you are free to design your own home based business so that it is just right for you.
I knew that I wanted to become a solo law practitioner before I even graduated from law school. After law school I worked as a law clerk for a woman who became my mentor. Seeing her work at the private law practice that she had created to fit her life confirmed that I was making the right choice. Now that my dream of having my own practice has become a reality, I can enthusiastically say that I made the right decision. No law office out there has a position that is just right for me, except for the one that I created for myself. Fortunately my law practice was still small when my son came along and I was able to continue with it as I took on another dream job as a stay at home mom.
My freelance writing business is also designed to be just for me. I look for and bid on projects that fit my schedule and my interests. The work that I get is work that I really want and I enjoy doing it. There is plenty of room for choosing challenging projects that can help me learn skills as well as projects where I can really let my creativity shine.
Going into business for oneself is certainly risky, but if you consider what you can get in return it is often well worth it. You are free to create the job of your dreams from among a wide variety of professions. What’s more, you can adjust and change your business plan as your life changes so that your business will always fit you and you will always have room for growth and advancement.
Photo by photo2go2 on morguefile.com.
