do what you love… where you love it.

Recently, it was posited that the idea that you should love what you do is absurd. While I love Penelope’s blog, I take exception to this. And not to play armchair psychologist, but PT has some bitterness resulting from difficulties in her life that are informing her take on this. And when you aren’t loving what you do, it’s easy to say that it’s an unrealistic concept.

Except it really isn’t. I suppose for most of human history, the majority of mankind has had to resort to doing whatever type of work suited their class. So if you were born blue collar, you worked blue collar, even if what you wanted to be a mathematician. But life today isn’t like that. Even the most routine job can have some aspect of excitement to it, depending on what you find exciting. And with so many options and opportunities in today’s mobile world, there is no reason to be stuck in a job you don’t love.

That being said, we still have to be realistic. There is nothing that you will ever love 100% of the time, whether it’s your job, your family, or your favorite sports team. What matters is that, in aggregate, you love these things more often than not. And when you don’t, well, that’s when it’s time to move on.

So what does it mean to “love your work“? I think that answer can vary by person. But I think there is one key factor that we can all apply to our situations. The question is simple - do you believe in what you do? Of course, how this manifests for each of us can be different, so consider how you feel about the following aspects of your place of employment:

1. Mission statement. Is the corporate vision in line with yours? If you don’t believe in your company, you won’t find worth in your work. If you don’t know what your company’s mission statement is, take a quick jaunt over to its public website. Print the page out, and mull over it. How do you feel about what’s written there? It’s always a good idea to periodically revisit and reconsider what’s changed in your life and at your company.
2. Strategic plan. Every good company has a vision for where they are headed in the next 5-20 years. If your company doesn’t have one, that should be a concern, but not a deal-breaker. Perhaps it could provide an opportunity for you to broaden your horizons a bit as you offer to help develop a plan. If your company does have one, then take a good look at it. Is where your company heading in the next decade where you want to head?
3. Public profile. Simply put, how does the rest of the world feel about your company? You might have some great benefits, but public opinion is the rainmaker. Unless you work for Halliburton or Blackwater, low approval ratings could be the death of your employer. In addition, consider whether the words used to describe your company are words you’d use to describe yourself.
4. Leadership. Who makes the big decisions at your company? Do you have respect for them? Are they providing you incentive and motivation? Good leaders allow room for growth and innovation and recognize hard work. They also have a strong commitment to their employees and lead by example. Unless he brokers deals there, the golf course should be not the place one would most likely find your CEO.
5. Commitment to its employees. Your company should be invested in you for the long-run. Even more ideally, that investment should not be in the form of your current position, but rather in the form of a career path. And if your field is the type where turnover is naturally high, your company should at least provide you the tools to continue in your career elsewhere.
6. Corporate culture. What does your company expect from its employees? What does it give back? How does this fall in line with what you want?
7. Work environment. Do you like the people you work with? Do you like your boss? Do you have appropriate channels for redress? Are others in your department/team on the same page as you are? Do you have an opportunity to voice your opinions? Is there room for growth and challenge?

There are, of course, many other things to consider as well, including personal issues relating to your actual work. But where you work is just as important as what you do - you can do the same job at two different places and have completely different experiences. So while your daily work activities are a strong indicator of happiness, so too is the environment in which this occurs.