I love what I do. Can’t imagine what life would be like if I didn’t. I admire other people who love their work, too. How lucky are we to have the opportunity to spend our days in the pursuit of something that makes us happy? In the movie, Field of Dreams, actor Ray Liotta portrayed “Shoeless” Joe Jackson. At one point in the movie, he looks around the ball field and sums up this point when he says, “I’d have played for nothing.”
For me, I owe my career path my older brother Andy. I was smart enough to take his advice, but he was wise enough to share it:
Choose a job in a field you love. Work is what takes up most of our day.
Seems simple, doesn’t it? But then, the best advice usually is. Do what you like and like what you do.
I saw a different version of Andy’s comment a while back: “If you don’t like your job, quit. Otherwise, shut up.” Okay, so that is a more negative slant core message is the same.
Sales is hard. Wicked, wicked hard. It’s not for everyone. But even for those with the talent and communication skills, a time comes when things are going so poorly for you that you rethink everything, including your career choice. It happens to me on occasion, still.
Remember, struggles are finite. Successes, too. What’s most important is that you love the work you do. If that’s not the case, change paths. It’s never too late.
But if you decide to stick with sales, do your job with joy. At bare minimum, you’ll be happier and who knows, perhaps that attitude will affect the outcome of your sales calls.
