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The Art of Work
Being unhappily employed can ruin your physical and emotional well-being. How do you find the ways to do the job you love and love the job you do?
 
By Ben Kallen
Photo by Noel Hendrickson/Masterfile
 
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Is it the American dream or a shaggy dog story? As a highly paid corporate manager of information technology, Stacy was successful in her career but personally unhappy being a cog in a giant wheel. When a round of layoffs left her at leisure, she consulted a career counselor to help her make use of her real interests: an affection for animals and a desire to be self-employed.

Instead of looking for another IT position, she started her own dog-grooming business. While it was a risky enterprise, she's ended up with more work than she can handle and plans to expand. "I didn't mind what I did before," she says, "but this is something I really love."

Considering the time and effort it takes, if our work isn't mentally stimulating or emotionally fulfilling, it's virtually impossible to live a satisfying life. And a job that's overly stressful is just plain unhealthful. Studies have linked job stress to everything from back pain to heart disease, says Thomas Pickering, M.D., director of the Behavioral Cardiovascular Health and Hypertension Program at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City.

Are you ready to find work that's genuinely enjoyable? The first step is to believe that it's possible. Even if you can't make a complete career change--at least, not right away--you can take action to make your current situation happier and healthier. Here are solutions for three common career quandaries.

1. I'm sure there's something else I'd like to do. I"m just not sure what it is."
One way to clarify your situation is by taking a truth inventory:
- What is it that you like or dislike about your job?
- Have you had any great days at work? What made them so?
- Recall why you took the job in the first place. Were you passionate about certain aspects? Have they changed--or have you?

"Three-quarters of Americans are unhappy with their jobs, but typically they aren't exactly sure why," says Connecticut-based career coach Julie Jansen, author of I Don't Know What I Want, But I Know It's Not This. Yes, you may dislike your boss or your company, but "it may be something else that you haven't even thought about before," she says.

To find out what's missing, Jansen suggests a period of self-reflection. "You need to understand yourself from a values standpoint. What are your real interests? What skills do you have, or would you like to acquire? Most people never get a clear picture of their desires. They just say, 'I'm unhappy, so I'd better go look for a job.' And then they don't necessarily make the right choices."

If you're confused about your career options, explore what you find enjoyable outside of work, advises Massachusetts-based personal coach Cheryl Richardson, author of Stand Up for Your Life. Ask yourself the following questions:

- If your local bookstore could only have one section, which one would you hope they'd keep?
- Who are the passionate people around you, and what are they doing with their lives?
- What career would you like your children to pursue? Is that because you'd really like to pursue it yourself?
- Do you frequently date people with careers in a certain area? Is it possible that the career attracts you as much as the person does?
- If you won the lottery and were able to quit your job today, what would you do with your time?

Once you've determined what your real passions are, you can begin looking into careers that incorporate them. "Give yourself the space to try things out," says Richardson. "You may think you'd love a certain thing, but you don't when you actually do it. Other activities you'll love more than you thought you would."

There's no shame in changing careers more than once, she adds. "One study found that some people do it as many as seven times over the course of a lifetime."

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