What if your current job was made for you? 🤔
If work seems burdensome, changing perspective could be the key to rediscovering motivation.
Do you doubt it?
Discover the journey of two people who went from saying “I hate my job” to “I love my work”.
“The activity that would make me happy is… the position I currently hold!”
Sometimes, when you’ve been doing the same job for years, you only see its flaws and constraints.
This is what happened to a client of Kerry Thompson, an Ikigai coach in England.
He came to see her exclaiming: “I hate my job. I don’t like my company. I’m becoming unbearable at home because of it! I need help.”
Kerry suggested he follow the Ikigai programme to discover the profession that suits him best.
By answering about fifty targeted questions, he identified what he likes in life; then, in a second phase, he became aware of his professional and personal know-how.
This analysis revealed the activity that would make him happy.
In the final step, he synchronised this job with the “real world”.
Much to his surprise, he realised that this activity was the one he had been doing for years!
The Ikigai programme allowed him to rediscover the attachment he had for his activity within his company. Thanks to this new perspective, he once again felt fully comfortable and happy professionally.
A veterinarian at heart, a butcher by family tradition
The journey of this Italian particularly struck me.
I saw it in the Netflix series ‘Chef’s Table’.
It’s about the Tuscan butcher, Dario Cecchini.
As a child, he accompanied his father, a butcher, to farms. He developed an unconditional love for cows and vowed to take care of them once he grew up.
A few years later, he began his veterinary studies. He never finished them: his father passed away and Dario had to take over the family butcher shop.
It was truly heartbreaking: not only did he say goodbye to his vocation, but he was also contributing to the death of animals when all he wanted was to care for them.
This activity went against his dearest values.
He took over the butcher shop reluctantly. This mindset had repercussions on his business. He found himself in great economic difficulty.
One day, he confided his disgust for the profession to his father’s friend, a meat selector.
The latter then made him see the nobility of the butcher’s trade. He told him: “You don’t understand. It’s not just cutting meat. […] When an animal is born, we must try to give it the best possible life. And when an animal dies by our hands, we try to respect the animal’s gift. You’re handling a piece of life. Never forget that.”
It was a real revelation for him.
From the next day on, every gesture became attentive, respectful, and loving towards the beast that had given its life to feed people.
This was followed by the development of the butcher shop and the opening of an adjoining restaurant.
The butcher became a renowned chef.
The unfortunate circumstances that had diverted him from his initial vocation unlocked real potential. He was able to fully thrive in a context that seemed unfavourable to him.
These two life journeys show that your dream job may not be as far away as you think. It doesn’t necessarily mean a career change or a change of position or company.
Do you still doubt that you’re in the right position? Fill out the online questionnaire from the Ikigai® Coaching Institute! It will assess to what extent your work and life are aligned with your deep values and aspirations.
For more information, book a free Q&A session with me.