The True Meaning of "Turning What You Love into Your Job": Changing Your Life Through Tasks You Enjoy
"I want to make what I love my job"—you've wished for this and taken the leap, but for some reason, you don't feel fulfilled. Have you ever had that experience? I was obsessed with reading and cafes, but when I turned them into my job, I felt completely out of place. After much trial and error, I have arrived at the essence of "turning what you love into your job," and I want to share it with you through real stories and insights. This first step might just change your life.
The essence of turning what you love into your job—living a life true to yourself through tasks you enjoy
"Let's make what we love our job." Have you ever been captivated by these words? I was one of them. I loved reading, so I worked at a bookstore; I loved the atmosphere of cafes, so I worked at a cafe. Yet, for some reason, the feeling that "something was wrong" never went away. From this experience, I set out on a journey to pursue the essence of "turning what you love into your job." I would like to share the insights I gained on that journey with you.
The gap between what you love and your job: Two stories
One day, I came across these words: "I loved reading, so I worked part-time at a bookstore, but it wasn't what I loved. Because what I love is reading books." These words struck me deeply. A space surrounded by books is certainly attractive. But what I loved wasn't shelving books or working the register; it was the moment of being immersed in a story.
The other story is about a friend's experience. He had a cafe he loved so much he went there five days a week. "It would be amazing if I could make this space my job!" he said, and he started working at the cafe with his eyes shining. However, a few months later, he quit. He said, "It wasn't what I thought it would be." That's because what he loved was "the time spent relaxing while drinking coffee."
From these two stories, an insight was born. "Turning what you love into your job" is not about chasing the "things" or "places" you love. So, what is its essence?
The essence of work lies in "tasks"
The key to solving this question was a passage from Keiya Mizuno's "The Elephant Who Grants Wishes." This novel, which was also adapted into a drama and loved by many, speaks about the essence of work like this:
"Work, when you get down to it, is 'tasks.' Providing service and making people happy is important, but in the end, work is 'doing some kind of task.' The vast amount of time you spend on work is, in other words, 'time spent on tasks.' That's why you'll be unhappy if you choose a job based on brand or appearance. You have to choose a 'task' that you can keep doing no matter how much of it there is. That is the right way to choose a job." (From "The Elephant Who Grants Wishes" by Keiya Mizuno, partially quoted)
These words completely changed my thinking. Work, when boiled down, is a series of "tasks." Since we spend so much of our lives on those "tasks," I realized that choosing a task I can truly enjoy from the heart is the key to a happy working life.
"Turning what you love into your job" = Tasks you love + Being useful to someone
From this insight, I defined the essence of "turning what you love into your job" as follows:
"Finding a task you can truly enjoy from the heart and providing it in a way that is useful to someone else."
For example, if I, who love reading, don't work at a bookstore, but instead choose a job where I write book reviews to provide readers with new encounters with books, that becomes a job that utilizes the task I love—"reading"—while being useful to someone. If my friend who loves cafes finds joy in the task of brewing coffee as a barista, that might be his path to "turning what he loves into his job."
Why this way of thinking will change you
This perspective changed my life significantly. I used to think I would be happy if I got closer to the "things I love," but now, by focusing on the "tasks I love," my work has become fun and fulfilling. You, too, should try asking yourself these questions:
What is a task I can lose track of time doing?
How can I be useful to someone through that task?
These two questions should be the first step in turning what you "love" into your job.
Still halfway there, but the reason I keep walking
To be honest, I am still young in life experience and have not yet become anyone of note. But precisely because of that, I want to think about this theme seriously and pursue it. This is because, in order to live in a way that is true to myself, I want to genuinely enjoy the "work" that occupies so much of my life. To that end, I am searching for the tasks I love and pursuing how to be useful to someone else.
If you are also looking for a "life that is true to yourself," why not take a small step starting today? For example, try writing down the "tasks you love" in a notebook. Or, try researching jobs where you can utilize those tasks. Such small actions might become the catalyst that changes your life.
In conclusion
Thank you for reading this article to the end. If my realizations have lit a small fire in your heart, there is nothing that would make me happier. Now, why not find the tasks you love and start your own journey of "making what you love your job"?
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"I want to do what I like as a job" — I tried with that wish, but for some reason my heart is not satisfied. Have you ever had that experience? I was also obsessed with reading and cafes, but when I made it my job, it felt uncomfortable. We will deliver to you the essence of "making your love your job" that we have arrived at after trial and error with realistic stories and realizations. This step could change your life.
Improved Text: The Essence of Making Your Love a Job — a Life That Is Your Own with Your Favorite Work
Let's turn what we like into a job. Have you ever been captivated by these words? I was one of them. I tried working at a bookstore because I love reading and a cafe because I like the atmosphere of the cafe, but for some reason, the sense of incongruity that "something is different" did not go away. From this experience, I embarked on a journey to pursue the essence of 'making what you like your job'. I want to share with you the realizations I gained from that trip.
The Difference between Love and Work: Two Stories
One day, I came across these words. I worked part-time at a bookstore because I loved reading, but it wasn't my favorite thing. Because what I like is reading books. These words deeply touched my heart. The space surrounded by books is definitely attractive. But what I liked was not the display of books or the cashier, but the moment when I immersed myself in the story.
Another story is about my friend's experience. He had a cafe he loved so much that he went there five times a week. It would be great if I could make this space my job! When he started working at the cafe, his eyes were shining at first. But after a few months, he quit. It's not what I thought. Because what he loved was "the time to relax while drinking coffee."
These two stories gave rise to awareness. To 'make what you like a job' does not mean pursuing 'things' or 'places' you like. So, what is its essence?
The essence of work lies in work.
The key to solving this question was a passage from Keiya Mizuno's "The Elephant That Makes Dreams Come True". The novel, which was also made into a drama and loved by many, talks about the nature of work:
"Work is 'work' if you follow it. Service and making people happy are important, but in the end, work is 'doing some work'. The vast amount of time spent on work is, in other words, "time spent on work". So, if you choose a job based on brand or appearance, you will be unhappy. You have to choose a 'work' that you can continue as much as you want. That's how to choose a job correctly." ( "The Elephant That Makes Dreams Come True," Keiya Mizuno, quoted from part)
These words completely changed my thinking. Work is ultimately a series of "work". As long as you spend a lot of your life on that "work", I realized that choosing a work that you can truly enjoy is the key to a happy work life.
"Make what you like a job" = what you like + what you do to help someone
From this realization, I defined the essence of "making love a job":
Finding work that you truly enjoy and providing it in a way that helps someone. '
For example, if I, who like reading, choose a job that provides readers with encounters with new books by writing book reviews instead of working at a bookstore, it will be a useful job for someone while making use of my favorite work of "reading". If a friend who loves cafes finds joy in making coffee as a barista, it may be his way to "turn what he likes into a job".
Why this mindset changes you
This perspective has greatly changed my life. In the past, I thought that getting closer to what I like would make me happy, but now by focusing on what I like, my work has become enjoyable and fulfilling. You should also ask yourself this question:
What is the task that allows me to lose track of time and immerse myself in?
What is the way to help someone with that task?
These two questions should be the first step in turning your "likes" into work.
We're still halfway there, but why we keep walking.
I'll be honest with you. I'm still inexperienced in life and I'm nothing. But that's why I want to seriously consider and pursue this theme. This is because I really want to enjoy my "work" that occupies a lot of my life in order to live my own life. To do that, I find my favorite work and pursue something useful for someone.
If you're also looking for a 'life that's true to yourself', why don't you take a small step forward from today? For example, write down your "favorite work" in a notebook. Or I'll do a little research on jobs that can make use of that work. Such small actions may be an opportunity to change your life.
Finally.
Thank you for reading this sentence to the end. If my realization had lit a small fire in your heart, I would be more than happy. Now, why don't you find your favorite work and start your own "turn your favorite into a job"?
