"don’t waste your life doing a job that bores you", says James Caan!
We all want to be original, unique. The good news is, we already are. No two people are the same – we were born different and our individual experiences and culture have shaped who we’ve become.
But why is everyone so obsessed with standing out from the crowd? Mainly, it’s because people want to feel they’re special. It doesn’t make you a narcissist – it’s just a fact of life.
We can express our individuality in many ways, and it’s these expressions that enable us to “find ourselves”, however clichéd that may sound. One of these, when we’re growing up, is wondering what we’ll do “when we’re older”. We’re encouraged to explore our options, to find out what we enjoy and to find our passion.
Look for purpose
And yet, I meet so many people who have grown up to become unhappy at work, people who are working in jobs they hate just to pay the bills. Of course sometimes that is unavoidable, but even in those situations you should always be working towards something more fulfilling that excites you and gives you purpose.
A life without purpose is no life at all. We spend so much time at work, we owe it to ourselves to ensure it’s rewarding and strengthening in some way. It’s really important we are always challenging ourselves – and being stuck doing something we dread doesn’t assist this.
We live in a noisy world and it’s essential you have your say and make your ideas heard. This is what makes good leaders great. A willingness to share your ideas and an eagerness to make yourself heard is – and always will be – the most important thing.
Know your desires
This may be a naïve way to look at life and, of course, it’s easier said than done (especially coming from me). But I built my success from nothing but a determination to do something new and an innate desire to own something. I didn’t know those desires would lead to recruitment – I just knew I wanted to start my own business because I saw my father enjoying it and wanted that happiness in my life.
If you’re sat at work wishing you were anywhere else, ask yourself these two questions:
What am I doing here?
Many people are reluctant to quit their jobs because they haven’t figured out what they really want to do. This is flawed. The more time you spend where you are, the more negative you will become, the more ingrained in the business you’ll find yourself and the harder it will be to leave.
What happens when you quit a job you hate? Your next step becomes an urgency. Your search for your passion becomes your main priority and all your energy is invested into finding something that is nothing like the position you’ve just left. It may be risky, but it’s a powerful experience.
How inquisitive am I?
Too many people rely on a job being available before doing anything about it. But if you like a particular brand or you feel you could fit in well with a business you’re familiar with, get in touch.
I know this isn’t the normal thing to do, but who cares? If you can convince an employer you have something they need, there’s no way they’ll let you go.
Tap into your personal interests and trust your curiosity. This way, you’re more likely to end up somewhere that coincides with who you are. I loved talking to people – that’s why I started a recruitment business. It’s that simple. I knew I was good at it and I wanted to start something myself, so I put the two together and created Alexander Mann.
Never limit your decision to external factors such as money, stature or convenience. Do something you love. And if that makes you naïve, so what? Join the club!
