8 Reasons It’s Important to Do What You Love

Have you been thinking about making a career change? To motivate you, check out these 8 reasons it’s important to do what you love!

Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life

Confucius

My dad retired yesterday! After being a Respiratory Therapist in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital for almost 30 years, he hung up his stethoscope. Since I was a very little girl, I’ve witnessed how hard both of my parents worked – especially my dad. My mom retired a few years ago, and is still working because she doesn’t want to get bored or lose her skills. But that’s a different story and lesson for another day!

A great example

When we were young kids, my dad would work nights at the hospital. He did this, not because he was a night owl. He just wanted to be sure that he was available for my mom and us 4 kids. My dad would come home early in the morning, in time to drop us all off to school. He would also pick us up from school so that we didn’t get stuck in after school care programs or with a babysitter.

My dad would make dinner for us, and maybe take a quick nap. A little later, he’d get up to go right back to work that night. Of course, as we got older and more independent, he’s switched back to working days. But, I don’t know how he ran this schedule all these years. I know much of his motivation was just his dedication to us kids, but also the fact that he absolutely loved what he did. 

He has shown me for years that finding what you love to do is of utmost importance. It’s not just about the money, it’s about truly finding value in what you do. From him, I’ve realized these 8 reasons it’s important to do what you love:

1. Motivation to wake up every day for work

I won’t say that my dad was ever hopping, skipping or running into work. But, he truly seemed to enjoy what he did. He would come home everyday with a few horror stories of the cases that he had to take care of in the PICU, but I could also tell his excitement when he was able to work along with his team to save a child’s life. I know he loved his job, the hospital, the people he worked with, the patients, and their families. He loves the medicine. He loves making a difference in so many people’s lives. That love made it a little easier for him to get up out of bed in the morning, or to drive in to work at night. It just seemed to be less of a chore, and more of a privilege.

2. Happiness at work and home

Of course, doing something that you absolutely love should naturally make you happy. The two go hand-in-hand. Many of us also know from experience that if there is a problem at work, that problem can shift our mood and also affect us home. But, if you’re generally happy at work because you’re doing something that you love, that happiness should carry over to home and the rest of your life. I’m not saying that things will always be perfect at work, even if you are doing something that you love. But, if you love the job, it’s easier to deal with those problems, or to not let them annoy you quite as much. You’ll also keep your kids and spouse just that much happier when there are no worries coming home with you!

3. The desire to learn more

It’s easier to read and to push yourself to learn about something that you’re interested in. This was the case for many of us throughout our schooling. My favorite subject was always math, and I could do math problem after math problem without getting bored. Call me a math geek, but I’d be so excited when I learned a new math skill. As an adult, when you’re seeking to learn more and to get better in your field, it definitely helps to love it and be interested in it. Being excited about learning is always a good thing – even as an adult! If you love your job, you’ll always seek out new things to learn in your field and to get better at what you do.

4. Increased productivity

Let’s be honest, when you absolutely hate something, you don’t necessarily give your all to it. But, if you love something, you’re much more likely to be productive and to have better outcomes. Listening to all of the stories that my dad’s co-workers have told about him, I can see how hard he worked and how productive he was day in and day out. He seemed to always accomplish his tasks and to even help out others who needed it. This ties in to the above point. If you love what you do, you’ll want to learn more about the field, and you’ll in turn be much more productive with the knowledge you gained.

5. Increased likelihood of a raise or promotion

With your increased productivity, will likely also come an increased status within your company. Of course, this isn’t always automatic, but if you love something, you work hard at it, and should expect to reap the benefits of that hard work. 

6. Making a difference

When you love what you do, it absolutely shows to everyone around you. My dad played an integral role in the training of new staff members, respiratory therapists, nurses, and even physicians – unintentionally! He officially led some classes while he was there, but he seemed to do so much of his teaching and training through his everyday work in the PICU. He can even impart knowledge about areas of medicine that have nothing to do with Respiratory Therapy. A lot of his co-workers credit him for making their jobs just that much easier. I’ve also run into patients and families who are immensely grateful for the care they received from my dad, both medically and emotionally. He truly made a difference and saved lives, and I know it’s because he loved what he did!

7. Less stress, better health

Having a job you love makes you happier and generally less stressed – even in the most stressful jobs! Being stressed out can cause major health problems. These can include high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity and diabetes. Waking up everyday to a job you love can override all of that.

8. Feeling accomplished at retirement

Many of us will work in our chosen careers for the majority of our adult lives. So you may as well enjoy what you do! Knowing that you had a career that you loved, at which you worked hard, saw great results, and made an impact – all of that is so rewarding. It would be awesome to be able to look back at what you’ve accomplished, without regrets, once you reach retirement. I know my dad is in the midst of doing that now, and I’m looking forward to doing this myself!

I am so lucky to have my dad, who is an awesome example of “doing what you love”. I’m also lucky to be in a position and career that I absolutely love and wouldn’t change for anything. I encourage you to do be sure you’re doing what you love in your life, not just what pays the bills. In the end, it’s not all about the money, it’s about all of the benefits listed above and your ultimate happiness.

Do you have anything to add to these 8 reasons it’s important to do what you love? I’d love to hear it! Just leave your thoughts in the comments below.

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