I’m not going to preach about digging deep and figuring out your “why”. Why you do what you do, what your biggest motivations are. You either already know or don’t care. Most of you reading this are highly motivated and successful. You already know what your why is. However, in the day to day grind, it can be easy to lose sight of it.
I received a few reminders recently that I didn’t realize I needed. Until I got them. It was helpful for me so I thought why not share with my huge audience (note sarcasm!) in case others could also benefit from taking a step back and thinking about why it is you do what you do.
My reminders came in the form of feedback from a placed candidate, an update from another candidate I’ve known for years and time with my family.
Starting with feedback, here’s an email I received from someone I found a new opportunity for recently:
(Side Note: Has someone done something for you lately that you appreciated? Thank them! I don’t think any of us do it enough. I’m trying to be better)
Every placement isn’t perfect. But a lot of them are great. Some of them are life changing. While I know that sounds exaggerated, I received an update recently that suggests otherwise. True story:
In 2010 I placed someone as a senior accountant with one of our clients. He earned several promotions and reached the controller level in 2014. This year he was recruited away by another company to be their CFO. In 6 years, he’s climbed from senior accountant to CFO. His annual income potential is probably 4x what it was in 2010. If you don’t think “4x” is big, think about multiplying $50k or $60k by 4. That’s a pretty good 6 year run for someone less than 10 years out of college. This particular person was going to be highly successful no matter what. After all, he is an IU grad. I’m not claiming to have made his career. Far from it. But it is awesome to play a role in it. To be able to introduce a talented person to a growing company that would actually allow for that kind of career growth.
Lastly, I was able to spend Father’s Day weekend at the lake with my family:
[wpvideo PX78eQnn]
Playing with 3 and 1 year old boys at a lake is exhausting. But if seeing them have a blast isn’t motivation and a good reminder about why I do what I do, I don’t know what is.
Every job can at times be routine and mundane. In my particular line of work, even the excitement of closing a deal can taper off. The occasional reminders are helpful for me. So this week I’m sharing my reminders in case you could use one as well.
So what’s your why? Reminding yourself might just be the kick in the ass you need as we approach the back nine of 2016!