Knowing You Are Working At Your Calling

 I was awake last night working with my website designer for one of my business websites.  We exchanged emails based on my reviews till 4:30am.  But, did I notice the time flying by.  I did not!  We started talking at 1:30am and stopped at the time above and it seemed like 30 minutes to me.

Same happened on Sunday.  I came back from church and spent the whole day working on the social media sites of one of my company’s publications and spent the better part of Sunday doing this. It did not feel like work at all.  It was something that had to be done to enable me achieve the objectives I wanted and needed to achieve.

During the course of my career, I have felt like this many times.  Where work and doing what I was doing was where I needed to be and what I wanted to do.  I remember once at the early stage of my career being given an administrative role and one of which amongst many in this capacity was reviewing and overseeing the travels department in the organization.

One day, one of my of my ogas needed travel information and I was not satisfied with what the implant travel agent was telling me.  Going to the airport from Ikoyi to get the information I required, at 7pm, was just the regular thing to do, because at that time, making sure that the whole travel system in the office was revamped and overhauled was a calling.  Nothing was too much work. Many people questioned the stress I put myself into that night, especially in view of the traffic and the rowdy nature of the airport at the time I went there, which is when many flights arrive.

But, when I really knew my calling was when I was moved to the marketing and sales department.  I reveled in this role, because it provided me with learning opportunities.  Every day, there was something new to learn.  It was not a routine job.  To understand the job, you had to understand all of the services that an international professional services provided.  This is not an easy feat and it is where many people fail, but I enjoyed it, because it was challenging, different and stretched your intellectual capacity.

In view of the rigorous nature of the job, we had to sleep many times in the office because of the deadlines. In fact, to ensure I succeeded, I stopped thinking about when I would close for work and it was just the natural thing to do.  We worked in a pressure cooker environment, but I enjoyed it.  I could use my skills and I saw the clear correlation between my job and the success of the firm.  Many people did not understand how a married woman with children could cope with the pressures.  But, for me, it was the thing to do.  I usually, did not understand what they were talking about.

So, how do you know that you are working at your calling?  I have given you some of my personal experience above, but will also like to add some from Peter Economy’s article, titled “10 Sure Signs You Are In The Right Job”.  Peter’s article resonated strongly with me, because it described who I was for 27 years and who I still am today.  Peter goes on to say:

You wake up energized each morning

Are you typically excited and enthused to get up in the morning, get your day started, and head to the office? Believe it or not, many people are. It’s simple, really. When you love what you do the excitement comes naturally–even at ungodly hours.

You look forward to tackling your to-do list each day

Whatever the day brings, you’re excited and ready to take it on. Tackling your to-do list and being able to fill it with a new collection of to-dos for the next day exhilarates you. (Okay, that’s an exaggeration, but you get what I mean.) People who love their jobs accept and embrace the day-to-day routine of what they do, knowing that the little things have to be done first to get to the big things.

You exude happiness

Some people walk into the office and have a happy air about them, an emotion that tends to rub off on the people around them. These happy people are extremely important to keep in a business, as they have the ability to change the entire environment of an office space in seconds. Are you one of them?

The day seems to fly by

Instead of being one of those people who is constantly watching the clock, you instead feel that there aren’t enough hours in your workday–in the good sense. You wish you had more time to accomplish tomorrow’s tasks and get even farther ahead of the game.You enjoy time spent in the office

Your family or friends may not understand it, but you actually like being at work. When you’re in your element doing what you love, you feel at your best.

You are eager to take on new projects

You aren’t racing the clock or trying to get ahead of others, you simply look forward to the next big thing you can tackle, and you work hard on your current projects so you can get to the next ones.

You are optimistic

If a deadline is coming fast and your team seems to be lagging, you’re the person cheering everyone on and motivating them to get things done. When other people get overwhelmed you are the one that is making the light at the end of the tunnel seem a lot closer than it appears.

You see the company’s goals as your own personal goals

You dream about it. You envision it on your drive home. You know that if you hit that goal at work you will feel good, and in doing so you’ll be well on the way to achieving your personal goals. People who internalize their work goals go far in life, and especially far in their line of work.

You are helpful and genuine to your coworkers

While most may regard their coworkers in a competitive light, you truly want to help everyone you can. Coworkers know that they can come to you for help or questions and that you will always make an honest attempt to assist. You are kind and your genuine nature shines through, which makes people want to work with you.

Your positivity flows over to your personal life

People who love their jobs are more likely to have fulfilling personal lives outside of work. Whether they’re traveling, in a sports league, or lounging at home, their positivity inspires others and magnetically attracts other people toward them.

The key thing to note is, when you stop feeling like Peter has described above, it is time to make a change.  At a point in my career, I stopped feeling the way Peter described above and work became the last place I wanted to be and left a nauseous feeling in my gut.  At that time, it was time to go and I needed to make that change.  The mistake many of us make is that we are too scared to make that change.  Your personal well-being is too precious to stay in a job that destroys your soul.  Know what you are called to do and start taking steps to do it!