My neighbour was joking today that her other half loves his new job so much she couldn't tear him away if they won the lottery. Conversely it made me think about the survey Lee Smith talked about recently that said almost half all British workers want to move into a more fulfilling second career by age 45.
If all 6 numbers came up on Saturday night, would you turn up at work on Monday? Do you yearn to be a yoga teacher, a charity worker or an animal welfare person (some of the top more fulfilling careers on people's minds according to the survey Lee quotes)? Or does internal comms do it for you?
Two things have made a difference to me in the past week thanks to people who were passionate about their work. On Thursday I saw Billy Elliott on stage. I loved it - it made me laugh, it made me cry and I came out on a real high. I wondered what it must feel like to have audiences standing on their seats cheering every night and thought about the people you see on Any Dream Will Do that get so emotional because they want the chance to perform so much.
On Sunday I went to church. Usually I'm half focused on stopping my 1 year old godson eating the hymn book or untangling his hands from my hair. But this week I was on my own and what the vicar said hit home and made me think - hard. By the time I walked out I'd realised some things about myself I hadn't thought about before. I found myself thinking what an excellent communicator he was and trying to work out why. I decided it must come from believing so much in what he was saying and wanting so much to make us think.
So am I passionate about internal comms? Actually, yes - I've done lots of soul-searching this year because I want to really believe in what I do and I don't want to spend time on things I don't honestly care that much about. I've narrowed my focus and I pass some of the things I used to do onto other people. And I've cut down my hours. It's hard to be passionate when you're sleep-deprived and stressed, and I wanted some free time to write a book - something else I feel passionate about. So comms actually does it for me ... but I've had to make a few changes in focus.
Personally, I don't think you need to find a cure for heart disease or find the solution for world peace to make a difference or feel fulfilled. I think it's about knowing what really matters to you, wondering whether you're doing those things, and if not, deciding what changes you're prepared to make.
So what do you reckon? Can you feel 'passionate' and 'fulfilled' in an internal comms job ... or is that pushing it a bit far?
Sue






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