A Case of the Mondays - A Lesson in Finding the Passion in your Job

Anyone else kind of slugging through the day? It's Monday in the East Coast (well, everywhere, I suppose), and it's hot. I'd like to be at the beach sipping on Gatorade and reading a raunchy novel. But, it's a work day for me.

5 years ago to the day, I was sitting in my cubicle, going through thousands of leads and sending them in for credit to our lead source vendors. 5 years ago, I was a manager/operations director of a BDC in New Jersey. The powers that be also took the BDC a step further and began to outsource our BDC services to dealers all over the United States. At our peak, we were at 20 dealers and 30+ employees. We opened at 9, and closed at 11pm. We even did some Sunday shifts in the middle.

Regardless of what I was doing, I didn't want to be doing it.

While I loved my role as a manager, and craved that leadership position, I couldn't help but to miss being a plain old rep on the phones. I missed that constant interaction with people. Yet when I was on the phones, making my calls, I craved the leadership role. Talk about a grass in greener complex.

It's important that wherever you are, you be all there. I can't tell you how many salespeople, managers, and even BDC reps that I came across who would be on the clock for 8-10 hours, but put in a collective 2 hours of work and complained that they just wanted to move up. They just wanted something else.

No matter your position, no matter your role, do it with passion. One of my township's garbage men has been there for 45 years. He started when he was in his 20's, just trying to make ends meet - but he did it with passion, and he found joy out of what other people call garbage. He's happier than many of the multi-million dollar company CEO's that I've interacted with. When I asked him one day what he wanted to be when he was younger, he said "I wasn't sure, I thought about being a cross-country truck driver, but I really just wanted to do good for the community. Maybe a cop, maybe a fireman, or the mayor. But, I'm a garbage man. I ride a truck all day, and do good for the community. It's my dream...."

I learned a lot from the garbage man. Looking back, it's no wonder that I wanted, as a child to be a guidance counselor. When I was on the phones, working leads, that was sort of my role; To guide people to the right decision best for them, when it wasn't completely clear. I was doing my dream....

So, I ask you, friends... what aspects of your current position in the automotive field are similar to your ultimate dreams as a child? Identify those, and when your day seems to be getting a little ho-hum, or you're doubting yourself, remember that you're really working your dream job - even if only one aspect of it.

If no part of the job is something you've always been interested in or have wanted to do, it might be time to change jobs. Do things with passion, or not at all.

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Comment by Stephanie Young on April 4, 2011 at 12:20pm: When I was a high school math teacher, I had a saying I use to tell some of my students who seemed to meander some where between achievement and boredom….”If you can’t be good, be good at it.” Striving to "be good at it" is really about bringing passion into the equation. Being passionate about what you do will then drive you to be “good” or find that achievement. Passion is often the catalyst for success.

Comment by Cathy Aron on August 10, 2010 at 1:12pm: Luv it Katie! Do what you love (even if only a piece of what you do is what you love), and you will never work a day in your life.

Comment by Jason Buchanan on August 10, 2010 at 11:02am: Nicely said. If you can't find one iota of truth or passion in your career then it's time to move on to greener pastures.

Comment by Dan Lovekamp on August 10, 2010 at 8:33am: Well spoken, in life you must choose to either be a participant or a spectator. A spectator never enjoys the exhiliaration of accomplishment and the antcipation of greater things. Good stuff.

Comment by Leonard Buchholz on August 9, 2010 at 3:14pm: Passion is the cure for mediocrity! Nicely Done!