I hope you’ve enjoyed your Jubilee weekend and made the most of your extra bank holidays (assuming you had them!). For me, I had a sociable Thursday, then have been resting to catch up on some much-needed sleep and relaxation.
One of the things that I’ve been thinking about though is how you do a job for such a long time, as the Queen has. After all, 70 years is a long time to be doing the same thing! If it were me, I would need a sense of purpose, fulfillment and joy to keep going for that long.
So I started thinking, what would an ideal job look like for me?
In at number 1 is something that excites me. Something that I look forward to doing most of the time and that doesn’t stay the same. Although I can sometimes struggle with changes, I have found the times when I’m most motivated at work is when something unexpectedly changes or doesn’t work and needs to be sorted out. I will keep going for hours to make sure it gets resolved or smoothed out.
Number 2 is having a sense of purpose or a vision for a better future. I realised that the organisations I have worked at most are either public sector or providing a service I truly believe in. Yes, public sector can be endlessly frustrating, but I’m proud to be a part of delivering a service to those in need of it. Thinking about the people I’m helping (whether directly or indirectly) keeps me going. I love supporting people who are improving the lives of others.
My other main point would be connecting with people who I enjoy talking to. Whether it’s customers, colleagues, peers or accidental contacts, I love meeting new people and hearing their stories. I like getting to know someone and finding out how we can work together or bring the best out of each other. The connection that happens when you’re working on resolving an issue together and the sense of shared satisfaction when you make it work.
I feel like the Queen must have had these in her role and perhaps it’s these things that keep her going. Knowing that she has been through some difficult times but has worked with those around her to make it through, motivated by a sense of purpose or a vision of a better future. Meeting new people and hearing their stories, I can imagine is a great part of her job.
I’m not a Royalist, nor am I against the royal family. I can’t help but admire someone who continues to work into their nineties, who also seems to care for the people in this country and want to make it a better place to live.
In my opinion, we need more people who care about those around them and want to make things better. Whether it’s for those in their immediate vicinity, their country or in a global capacity!
I would love to know though, what would your ideal job include?