How To Marie Kondo A Career You No Longer Love

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock somewhere, you’ve heard of Marie Kondo. You’ve probably already binged watched the entire season of her new show on Netflix and have considered decluttering and tidying up your own home.

But while Marie Kondo believes your home should spark joy, I believe the same goes for your career. Sure, every day at work, no matter how amazing your job is, will not feel like a romantic walk in the park. But, you shouldn’t start every day dreading work either.

So, here are a few questions to help you start thinking about how you can tidy up your own career and turn it into one you’ll love.

1. Does it spark joy?

This, of course, is the ultimate Marie Kondo question you must first ask yourself when thinking about your career. If you can honestly say your current position does not spark joy, you need to take a moment to think about what does. What projects give you the greatest joy? What clients do you enjoy helping and working with the most? Which challenges get your adrenaline pumping? When do you feel most fulfilled at work? Hint: Your answer should not be “when it’s time to go home.”

When you’re scrolling through LinkedIn fueling your comparison issues – let’s be honest here, what about other people’s jobs excite you the most? What would feel most fulfilling to you if you had the opportunity to do it?

2. Are you an expert at what you love?

A few years ago, when I was at a job I no longer loved and realized I wanted to be more creative than my position allowed me to be, I started looking for ways to be creative wherever I could. Did it take more work? Yes, sometimes it did. Were my colleagues surprised (maybe even confused) by my constant desire to help on more creative projects? Yes, a few were. But eventually, co-workers and senior leaders started tapping me for this expertise and I became the go-to person for client presentations, creative deliverables and creative perspectives, which ultimately changed how I spent my days at work for the better.

While tidying up your career, look for ways to strengthen the skills you do love. Take active steps to get better at your craft. Talk to your boss about what most excites you and start positioning yourself at work as the go-to person for what you love to do. This will also give you more leverage to prove to your future employer that you’re the asset they need for the role you desire to transition into next.

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