Some career lessons remain relevant even as the workplace continues to change. One of Steve Jobs’ most memorable statements about his work and career approach is a simple but powerful quote about the relationship between work and love: “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.”The quote stems from Steve Jobs‘ commencement address at Stanford University, in which he spoke openly about his experiences with his own career, overcoming failure and finding what he loved doing.
Steve Jobs believed that passion could keep you going
To him, “loving what you do” meant more than enjoying each and every working day, he equated passion with the ability to keep going, even when the odds were stacked against you. He spoke of how he saw no end in sight when he was fired from Apple, but he eventually came to terms with the fact that the experience had been a blessing in disguise: the only reason he survived the rough patch was because he loved what he did.That is not to say that fulfilling work is always easy; in fact, the ability to find joy and satisfaction in what you do can get you through the tough times. The kind of perseverance that Jobs spoke of is not a guarantee of a smooth road ahead, but more the conviction that you will get through the bad times.
“You’ve got to find what you love”
Steve Jobs did not simply encourage people to fall in love with what they do, he urged them to actively seek it out. Finding that can be a matter of trying different options and eventually settling on one that you love, if you are lucky. Jobs encourages people to be committed to finding what they love and not to settle.It is a message that applies equally well to someone starting out in their first job as it does to someone who has worked in the same field for years but is feeling unfulfilled.While a good income is certainly nice, people tend to seek something greater than a salary packet. Finding meaning and satisfaction in what you do can be incredibly motivating, it can give you a sense of purpose and the drive to keep going. This does not always mean turning a hobby into a full-time job, it is about seeking out the work that appeals to your sense of purpose and then finding a way to make it happen.
Jobs also urged people to avoid the trap of living someone else’s life
Not everyone has the luxury of knowing exactly what they want to do right out of college (or even later in life). You may have to travel different paths to discover what you want, and sometimes the journey can be made all the more difficult by the fact that you did not expect to enjoy what you ended up doing.Also read:In 1995, Dwayne Johnson had only $7 in his pocket: How He went from rock bottom to one of Hollywood’s highest-paid starsAtal Pension Yojna: Know who is eligible for this post-retirement pension scheme, how much you need to contribute and what you get after 60Ultimately, Steve Jobs’ message is one of finding meaning and satisfaction in whichever work you choose to dedicate a large part of your life to – your career. To truly love what you do does not necessarily mean it will always be exciting or enjoyable, but instead that there is an element of purpose that drives you to do what you do.His message can, in many ways, be boiled down to a single piece of advice: don’t be afraid to explore your options and look for what appeals to you most, and don’t settle when you have found it. Jobs’ Stanford speech still resonates with people years after it was first delivered because the message it conveys is universal, a question people have asked themselves for centuries: if I am going to spend such a large part of my life working, shouldn’t at least some of that working be something that brings me joy and satisfaction?
