I’m a big believer that your level of <success, job satisfaction, contentment> is in direct relation to the level of effort and energy you put into it.

Most people (myself included) work to pay the bills. To keep the lights on. To fund trips. To be able to live the life you want to. We don’t live to work, we work to live.

But you can usually clearly tell those who actually enjoy the work they are doing and those who are punching the clock.

Punching the clock looks like: Not engaging in conversations or participating in discussions or activities (by choice); Showing up late to meetings (all the time); Not being prepared for meetings; Not paying attention during meetings (multi-tasking); Not working to get better.

Enjoying the work looks like: Being engaged at all levels when you can; Being on time and prepared; Giving your full attention to the topics at hand; Constantly looking to improve what you do and how you do it.

Now I’ll be real and say I work to pay the bills. I’ve got expensive kids. And my Peloton habit. And to pay for more pairs of running shoes.

BUT – I also really enjoy what I do. Not all the things (who loves all the things?), but I love working with amazing customers and figuring out solutions and designing flows and automations and ultimately helping people.

Because of that I show up. I give meetings my whole attention. I have high expectations for myself when it comes to the level of engagement I provide. And I work better with people who have a similar outlook. Who also love what they do. Because it shows. And ultimately it helps to ensure success.

Not only because you’ve been paying attention and engaged but because, usually, the people you are working with see your engagement and you build a trusted relationship.

Working with people who are just punching the clock is hard. The level of effort is usually very unbalanced. Which causes strain on the entire team.

So now to the Real Talk:

What are the areas of your life where you are Enjoying the Work?

And how that feels…how these are the areas that light you up….

What about the areas where you are Punching the Clock?

Think about the why behind it. Is there a reason? Is it something you can work to change? Or is it time for a change?

I know sometimes there are other factors leading to less satisfaction, difficult customers, coworkers phoning it in, unrealistic expectations, and more. Is it just temporary or something that won’t change? Can you enjoy your parts and set aside the others?

Wouldn’t it be great if most of the things in your life could be classified as Enjoying the Work? What can you do to get to more of that?

Ours lives aren’t mapped out. There isn’t a set path we have to follow. We get to make choices. They aren’t always easy choices. Sometimes they are downright hard. But, bottom line, we have choices.

Choose to Enjoy the Work.

Whether it’s your actual job, or your personal life or something as mundane as doing the dishes. Find a way to enjoy it. See how it makes you feel. Then try to replicate that.

Don’t just punch the clock on life. We only get one.