How to Do What You Love?

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

The past year has changed how we work as individuals and as teams. In fact, in many ways, the landscape of “work” has changed overall.

In the last two years, many people have had to rethink not just how and where they work but also why they work. This unprecedented change has led many people to reconsider their life, expectations, and aspirations for work. People reviewed the meaning of their job, how they spent their time, if they are really following their passion, and if they've found a job they love.

However, doing what you love doesn't mean you will always love it or love every moment. As Paul Graham wrote, "even Einstein probably had moments when he wanted to have a cup of coffee but told himself he ought to finish what he was working on first. (...) Doing what you love assumes a certain length of time. It doesn't mean do what will make you happiest this second, but what will make you happiest over an extended period, like a week or a month."

Benjamin Franklin said happiness consists more in small conveniences or pleasures that occur every day than in great pieces of good fortune that happen but seldom to a man in the course of his life.

If doing what you love takes a certain length, how can you know if you have already found it? There is no one correct answer. However, you should try to do a good job at whatever you're doing, even if you don't like it. You should try to do your best. Do your job with love, and do not wait to find the job you love.

If you do it, you will know that you are not using discontentment as an excuse not to do your best work. And most importantly, you will get into the habit of doing things well.

Finding the job you love probably will not happen by accident. But you can make a choice.

Why do we need to develop virtues?

Do we need to get burned to talk about fire? Do we need to have corruption cases to talk about ethics? 

Now that we live in an environment where so many cases of corruption have been reported in my country, many people talk about ethics and integrity.

Think about it: how many corruption cases did you read about on the news last month?

However, it is my belief that we should stop and reflect on how we came to this situation. We should reflect on what we are doing to develop people with integrity. People with virtues.

What are virtues?

A virtue is an excellent trait of character. The concept of a virtue is the concept of something that makes its possessor good: a virtuous person is a morally good, excellent, or admirable person who acts and feels as she should. According to the oxford dictionary, virtues are behavior or attitudes that show high moral standards.

How to develop virtues?

Virtues are developed through learning and practice. As the ancient philosopher, Aristotle suggested, a person can improve his or her character by practicing self-discipline, while a good character can be corrupted by repeated self-indulgence.

I love the approach that Pablo Ferreiro, cofounder of the School of Business of the University of Piura, shared about developing virtues in others in one of his excellent lectures that I had the privileged to attend:

1. First, we should not prevent it. How do we prevent it? For example, when someone scoffs about the generosity of others. When we believe that being a good person is synonymous with being a fool. We also prevent it when we don't speak up when we don't question if what someone is doing is the right thing. Or when we lie.

2. Teaching others.

3. Being an example. Walking the talk.

Marcus Aurelius said that the happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts: therefore, guard accordingly and take care that you entertain no notions unsuitable to virtue and reasonable nature.

We must be aware of our thoughts and actions. But remember that being aware and wanting is not enough to make a good decision. Only those who have the virtues for doing good are capable of following their conscience. The person who, in addition to knowing what good is, has the strength to act accordingly.

It's all about the story

A shoe factory sends two marketing scouts to a region of Africa to study the prospects for expanding business. One sends back a telegram saying,

SITUATION HOPELESS STOP NO ONE WEARS SHOES

The other writes back triumphantly,

GLORIOUS BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY STOP THEY HAVE NO SHOES

— Rosamund Zander and Benjamin Zander, The Art of Possibility

People see different outcomes for the same situation. All of life comes to us in narrative form. It's the story you tell yourself. We see a map of the world, not the world itself.

Are you aware of the biases that you have when you make decisions?

Knowing what's right is not enough

Searching for truth, in addition to requiring time and effort, does not guarantee that we will find it. To make the right decision and do good, being aware and wanting is not enough. Because only those who have the habit of doing good are capable of following their conscience, that is, those who, in addition to knowing what is good, have the strength to act accordingly.

“Ethics, by definition, seeks good. And good is achieved when the truth is known and respected. However, as a rational animal, the human being seeks the truth. But as a lazy animal, he soon gets tired of searching and decides that things are whatever is what everybody thinks.

Furthermore, although we aspire to make the right decisions and do good, the word 'good' does not mean the same for everyone. That is why it is important to ask ourselves what is what makes things, actions, and life good”.

— José R. Ayllón

Why to Believe in Others

Viktor Frankl (March 26, 1905–September 2, 1997) is one of history’s most remarkable testaments to the tenacity of the human spirit. He survived the Holocaust and gave us a classic masterwork of humanism and resilience.

In this video-master piece of a Conference in Toronto, he delivers a powerful message about the most important gift we can give others.

If we take man as he really is, we make him worse, but if we overestimate him …. If we seem to be idealists and are overestimating, overrating man, and looking at him that high, here above, you know what happens? We promote him to what he really can be.

So, we have to be idealists in a way because then we wind up as the true, the real realists.

— Viktor Frankl

We are not here to fit in

We are not here to fit in. We are not here to be assessed or to be judged. We are not here, so others have something to talk about behind our backs. We are not here to be afraid. We are not here for others to make us feel like we don't belong and make us feel left out. We are not here waiting for someone to pick us up.

We are here to stand out. To be different, to add our inner self to bring our uniqueness. We are here to live free, without fear. We are here to become more. To add value.

How would we act if we were not afraid to be judged, to be seen as weak, or that we don't belong? How does it feel to live with courage, with all of our hearts?

We can do better

Today is World Inclusion Day. It is a day dedicated to ensuring that individuals of various abilities, backgrounds, ages, races, religions, genders, and other characteristics are accepted, welcomed, and treated fairly.

We are all different.  However, companies must also enhance inclusion for a diverse workforce to flourish.

What is inclusion?

Inclusion is a human right. The meaning of inclusive is that everyone is understood, appreciated, and able to participate and contribute meaningfully.

Why is it important?

Many organizations recognize that focusing on inclusion is not only the right thing to do but also has a high correlation with business results.

However, inclusion doesn't happen by accident.

If an organization wants to move the needle on diversity and representation in a sustainable way, they have to work on having an inclusive culture.

How to promote an inclusive culture?

Most of the recommendations will suggest to:

• Start at the top. Business leaders must display inclusive behavior.

• Ensure safe spaces for your employees

• Give employees multiple ways to provide feedback

• Choose the right metrics.

I agree. It's essential to start at the top. And it must be a company priority reflected in their processes and actions.

However, now more than ever, everyone has the opportunity to make a difference.

Everyone in any role could make an impact. It's not about the role; it is about choice.

We need to decide to take the time to connect. To listen. To care.

It is hard to see and recognize that minorities are really exposed to different situations or problems. To bridge the gap takes more than good faith and goodwill.

Consider these possibilities. What if we stop to think and choose to behave differently, with less indifference to each other? What if we don’t judge? If we recognize that we have stereotypes about what is the right thing to do and even about how people should behave.

What if we come up and show genuine interest and ask her about her great idea? If we really listen and try to understand. What if we really care enough to work for a deep connection? Because connections are what enable us to add value.

We are all unique. We are all human.

If we are unwilling to do something different, we may miss out on something that could change our lives and the lives of others.

Our choices and actions —or our inaction— define the person we are.

About Leadership

The world is changing whether you want it or not, and it's changing faster than ever.    

So in the face of all that change, we will have to lead the way.

When it comes to being a leader, you need to understand that it's not something you're born with. It's something you choose to do.

No one gives you permission or approval or a permit to lead. You do it.

The only one who can say no is you. You choose to lead.

How to retain your employees

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2021, over 47 million Americans voluntarily quit their jobs.

The Great Resignation is a term used to describe the record number of people leaving their jobs since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. After an extended period of working from home, for many people, work-life balance became a priority.

The great resignation is not over. According to PwC's Global Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey, one in five employees globally is planning to quit in 2022.

However, the Great Resignation is just the top of the iceberg. What doesn't count are all the employees who are working but disengaged from their jobs. People who are quiet quitting. Employees who don't enjoy what they do. Who perceive that they are not growing or that their job doesn't provide the meaning and purpose they seek.

We can find hundreds of initiatives and processes to try to improve retention. The trouble is that most of them don't go deep enough. We are so immersed in a culture of standardization that we forget that people are driven by different motivations.

Somewhere in the back of the mind of some policy-makers, these proposals are like industrial processes that can be improved just by having better data. They have the idea that if they tune the process well enough if we get it right, engagement will all hum along perfectly into the future.

It won't work. It never did.

The point is that this is not a mechanical system. It's a human system. It's about people. Every employee who resigns has a different reason for doing so. There could be trends, but the stories are always unique.

We need to recognize that engagement doesn't happen in a committee room.  It occurs in the daily basics, and the people who do it are the leaders and the team surrounding them.

Where to start:

1. Listen to your people to better understand how they are doing: Have 1-to-1 conversations, ask them what they need, and how you can support them better. Connect with them.

2. Care and be a coach: helping your team and aligning priorities, removing the roadblocks, and asking them questions that help them.

3. Don't ignore the basics: Focus on well-being, high-quality connections, understanding what people need, if someone has a personal situation, etc.

4. Create a psychologically safe environment where everyone can feel safe to say what they think and speak up if needed.

As a leader, your role is to bring out the best in people. 

How to overcome your blind spots

If you have a leadership role, you probably have blind spots. Because people often tell leaders what they want to hear, not what they really need. Some people around leaders often seem intimidated or don't find a safe space to be open and honest. As a leader, how can you overcome this challenge?

John Maxwell, in his book Developing the Leader Within You, suggested two actions:

First, assume that you have blind spots that may hurt you. Second, recognize that others could be intimidated and may not always be willing to help you with them.

Therefore he suggests  asking these questions: “What is it like to be on the other side of the table from me?”, “What am I missing?” and “Can you help me?”

The two keys if you want to make a sustainable change are: to recognize it and make it acknowledged by others.

I also like the feedforward approach from Marshall Goldsmith, that is, asking for suggestions.

What are your suggestions for improvement? As your manager, what suggestions do you have for me? How can I be a better manager?

Feedforward helps people envision and focus on a positive future, not a failed past. By giving people ideas on how they can be even more successful, we increase their chances of success. It is more productive to help people be right than prove them wrong.

Remember that when you ask for suggestions, you should listen. Don't talk. Be sure that you understand and clarify, and then say thank you.

What other suggestions do you have?

Where is Anything Better?

“Indeed, if you find anything in human life better than justice, truth, self-control, courage–in short, anything better than the sufficiency of your own mind, which keeps you acting according to the demands of true reason and accepting what fate gives you outside of your own power of choice–I tell you, if you can see anything better than this, turn to it heart and soul and take full advantage of this greater good you've found.”

— Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 3.6.1

Practice Gratitude

What is the one thing people who can wholly lean into joy have in common? It's gratitude. They practice gratitude. It’s not an “attitude of gratitude”—it’s an actual practice. (Brené Brown writes about this in her great book Dare to Lead.)

 Practicing gratitude and celebrating milestones and victories increases employee engagement, satisfaction, and retention.

How do you practice gratitude? What other practices do you have?

Winning over Fear

Amy Edmondson, the Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at Harvard Business School, wrote in her book "The Fearless Organization" how achieving high performance requires the confidence to take risks, especially in a knowledge-intensive world. This is a book that I highly recommend.

How can leaders create the psychological safety that employees need in times of burnout, languish, anxiety, depression, fear, and stress?

It's not news that knowledge and innovation have become vital sources of competitive advantage in almost every market and industry. "For knowledge work to flourish, the workplace must be one where people feel able to share their knowledge!"

Another important factor is that the problems we have to solve today are so complex that the only way to solve them is in a collaborative way.  More than ever, our decisions and actions are interdependent. Hiring talented people does not guarantee results if they do not know how to work collaboratively. Organizations need people who break down silos, move beyond formal responsibilities, and proactively seek solutions as a team. Individuals who bring their talent to do their best work for a higher purpose.

“People must bring their brains to work and collaborate with each other to solve problems and accomplish work that’s perpetually changing.”

That’s why psychological safety is so important. When individuals feel safe at the workplace, they can take risks, fully participate, and teams can perform at their best.

“Psychological safety is broadly defined as a climate in which people are comfortable expressing and being themselves. More specifically, when people have psychological safety at work, they feel comfortable sharing concerns and mistakes without fear of embarrassment or retribution.

(...)
When a work environment has reasonably high psychological safety, good things happen: mistakes are reported quickly so that prompt corrective action can be taken; seamless coordination across groups or departments is enabled, and potentially game-changing ideas for innovation are shared.”

An excellent distinction between what is and what is not psychological safety:

Source: Janko Kotze

“Brain science has amply demonstrated that fear inhibits learning and cooperation. (...)
Research in neuroscience shows that fear consumes physiologic resources, diverting them from parts of the brain that manage working memory and process new information. This impairs analytic thinking, creative insight, and problem solving.”

In a time when we need to work collaboratively to do the work that serves our customers, it's relevant that people feel that they are able to take risks, speak up, question the proposals, share information, and work with each other to create lasting impact.

The best choices compound

Time cannot and will not be managed, and you will never get more of it. The problem is rooted in the choices you are making with others and your own choices. You choose how to use it every moment of every day, whether you believe you do or not.
— Jamie Cornell

Every day we have to examine our priorities, agendas, and choices. When we say yes to one thing, we implicitly say no to others. We can control choices, not time. Even if we are unaware, we define how we spend our day. That requires us to prioritize and say no to many things.

The quality of our life is related to the quality of our decisions. The best choices compound. Sometimes we don't get what we want because we lack focus, not motivation. Change your focus to change your outcomes.

One of the most important habits to learn is to make a specific time in the day to reflect. Without reflection, many things cannot be learned. If we don't learn, we are prone to make the same mistakes again.

What is your level of commitment?

Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim, and end of human existence.
― Aristotle

What is your purpose in life? From time to time, ask yourself what would happen if today were the last day of your life. What would you do if you only had this day? What would you do first? What would you prioritize from your list?

Don't overthink it, but reflect on your priorities. Limiting your choices can bring clarity to your mind.

Leo Babauta wrote, "When I’m truly committed, there is a deeper feeling, in my gut, that there is no way I’m going to fail at the commitment." When I read this quote, I reflected on some of my priorities because I didn't find myself with that level of commitment. Why? I want to do many things; however, It’s not possible to be committed to everything I want to do. It's really clear that there are important things for me, but they require that I make some choices. Some choices could be simple (but not easy), like saying no to other things that I also want to do. Regardless, I have to do things differently because time is limited.

Minor and trivial tasks threaten to steal much of our time. If we’re not careful, we can spend most of our time on the wrong things.

How about you? Do you find yourself with a list of things that you want to do, but you are not keeping the intentionality level required? What is your level of commitment to your priorities?

The most important habit

In the long term, you are only as good as your consistency.
— Shane Parrish.

You should aim to compound your habits.

Be willing to let small daily habits convert into opportunities and increase your focus on things that really matter to you. Long-term vision and thinking can be one of your most significant competitive advantages.

By implementing daily habits, you take your life vision and your short- and long-term goals and mold your lifestyle so you can be successful in your pursuit of creating and living a meaningful life.

One of the most important habits to learn is to make specific time in the day to reflect. Without reflection, many things cannot be learned. If we don't learn, we are prone to make the same mistakes again.

Learning happens when you go through an experience, but it is multiplied if you take time to reflect on the experience and share your reflections with colleagues who share your path.

Journaling can help you establish a positive pattern of thinking and acting when it really matters. Build this positive habit, establish a new ritual, and it will allow you to thrive. In about five minutes per day, journaling will allow you to achieve more during the day and be a happier person. It's a strategy that has helped wise people along the ages to become better at what they do.

Why not start now?

Since 2016 I started this journey to put more intentionality into the things that are really important for me. I started to create new habits and be more clear about how I am spending my time. My family, intentional learning, how I can add more value to my work. This is a journey in progress, and I continue learning by standing on the shoulders of giants. Trying to look and learn from what the best referents are doing to achieve what they want and how they are doing it. A huge part of this journey has been using a daily planner and journaling.

When I started, I had two kids, and it was very challenging to handle all that I wanted to do. Currently, I have three kids, and I have to admit that without those learnings, without that clarity, I wouldn't have been able to grow and make progress in the most important things in my life.

In the beginning, it was frustrating to see that even when I considered myself a very organized person, the days were passing by with many things overlapping, many urgent issues consuming my time, jumping from one topic to another. For me, starting this journey was a before and after, representing a huge change in my life.

In this journey, I learned how to create intentional time and work on the most essential things in my life. Now I intentionally decide what the things that I want to focus on are. This learning process shows me how to have more clarity, define what I want to focus my time on, and what things I choose to say no to.

Based on what I learned, I decided to create an annual journal-planner for this year, the "Five-Minute Habit Journal for Happiness & Success." It contains the most valuable practices and effective processes that I found. In a simple way, this journal-planner intends to help strengthen your independent will and invites you to commit to reflecting on the past and planning for the future.

You should aim to compound your habits. If you are interested in learning more, visit this link.

All we have is now

It's not what you are going to do, but it's what you are doing right now that counts.
— Napoleon Hill

All we have is now.

Most people start the year planning; some write their new year resolutions with dreams and hopes of accomplishing new projects. Probably most people have plans to start new goals, new habits, or want to return to others that they put on hold. We want to improve our lives. The question isn't if you want it to happen but if you have the commitment and intentionality required.

The most important project you will ever take on is your own life.

If you don't take the time to design and execute your own life plan, someone else will.

Life with focus and intentionality creates progress. There is no more significant challenge than controlling yourself.

To grow consciously, it's good advice to focus on the journey instead of the destination. Ask yourself how far you can go?

Start with small steps every day. Over time, you'll see progress. Consistency compounds.

Growth begins at the end of our comfort zone. Can you learn to feel comfortable with the uncomfortable?