How to Make Work Fun (The Secret is it's Easier for Marketers)
Fair warning, I am a marketer and my industry is inherently better than all other industries :P
With that said, I meet too many people who don't like their job. They might not make enough money, work long hours, or are not challenged on a daily basis. I get it. Many people grind out each day and are only excited when the workday is over.
But, does it need to be like this?
Shouldn't it be possible to have fun with our work? Every minute won't be enjoyable. There will always be those tasks which just need to be done. I am not talking about the minute details. I am talking about the overview of your work. It should be fun and you should look forward to work when you wake up.
It's easier to make your job a pleasure than you think, here's how.
No Pressure
There is one thing above all other items which stresses me out with clients . . . pressure. I feel pressure when a project has a tight deadline, extensive resources have been dedicated to a single campaign, and contracts are coming up for renewal.
The pressure is not necessarily bad, but it does make work feel like, well . . . work.
We do well under pressure at Elisha Consulting and it's one of the reasons our clients see success with campaigns. Yet, if we were always under pressure, we would quickly burn out.
I realized this years ago when I was completely exhausted with a job. Every month was filled with crazy deadlines, little resources, and brainstorming sessions which took away valuable time from meeting those strict deadlines. I left the position because there was simply too much pressure to perform and not enough time to excel.
Have you ever been in a similar situation? Your supervisor is asking for the project to be done quickly and then wants to talk endlessly. All you are thinking is if we stopped talking I could actually knock this project out quickly.
There is a solution. Take on projects that have no pressure!
Wait, didn't we just talk about having tight deadlines? Well, yes, but follow me, we are playing the long game.
Projects with no pressure are those which are initiated by you on your own time. Here's an example, I routinely do design work for clients and need to stay sharp through new techniques. The problem is that learning new techniques means I will make mistakes. Think about it. You will fail anytime you learn something. When it comes to client work, mistakes aren't an option.
The way I reduce pressure is to do design work on my own time. I usually use my company, Elisha Consulting, as the centerpiece and go wild with different styles (see below for examples). There is absolutely no pressure with these designs as I am not being paid. Instead, I am trying something new in order to be paid more in the future.
Pause and Read That Again
Seriously, go look at that last sentence. When I practice design I am not being paid, however, I might learn a technique which I can sell later. You can do the same with your job.
- Are you in finance? Try building business models on your own time.
- Are you in sales? Try negotiating with your friends and family for little things (I make deals with my wife all the time, or at least I think I do).
- Are you a project manager? Sign-up for a free version of a project management system and upload your vacation items to see if it works efficiently.
I could go on with other professions, and I know it's a little easier in the marketing industry. Marketers can practice writing code, designing random items (child's birthday cards), creating social media accounts, and more. However, if you sit and think, I am sure you can find a way to try something new.
Your new skill might be the thing which elevates your career and places you in a job you like. That's how I moved from jobs which felt like a chore to a career I love. I set aside time every week to develop skills and am now paid for those abilities. This is how I have grown my business and been able to work with amazing clients.
You can do the same! Sacrifice a little time to learn and then use those techniques to enhance your career and become happier.
In the meantime, contact us for all your marketing needs and see how we turn new skills into results for our clients.
