Life is short. We spend such a large percentage of our time earning our livings at work --- doesnt it make sense to actually do something we like and enjoy? Most of us dont instantly fall into work we love. We have to find it or create it. And it emerges over time as we bump up against what we dont like, which helps us determine what we do. Here are a few things to consider as you set about creating or improving the work that you do:

Define What You LIKE Doing: Forgot about other people. Or what you should do. Or even what you can supposedly make money at or not. What do YOU actually LIKE to do? Do you want to improve your current work situation? If so, what is it that you actually like doing in the work that you do? How can you spend more of your time doing those things as opposed to others? Is there a way you can offload or outsource the things that you dont like to do? If your role doesnt have much of the things that you actually like to do, determine which other roles do. How can you get into them? Nobody makes you do anything. You are the one either saying yes or no to things in your life. Stop being a victim and start empowering yourself to create a situation that you truly enjoy.

Flip Your Ingrained and Limiting Beliefs: People create and stay in limiting situations because of deeply held beliefs and attitudes. They get stuck in a rut, believing that this is the way it has to be. Perhaps you grew up being told (directly or indirectly) that life is hard, you have to work hard, that work is not meant to be enjoyable (after all it is called work) or that work is a means to an ends. Or that only certain kinds of work or behaviors were things that you could do. Or that would earn you an income. Your beliefs, at a very deep level (and sometimes not so deep!) create your reality. Uncover what your negative and limiting beliefs are about work. What was modeled to you growing up? How did you interpret or react to what you saw? What messages did you receive about money, prosperity, possibilities, what your relatives or community did? Were you trained to belief that work and pleasure can actually go together? [See Archeology of Beliefs article: Vol. 1, Issue 3 in E-zine archives for more about the power of early programming].

Where There Is a Will, There Is a Way:No matter what you like to do there is most likely somebody, somewhere, who has figured out a way to make a living out of it --- and a lucrative one to boot. A few years back I was on a flight with this middle-aged guy next to me who was this crazy skateboard character. Turns out his passion was skateboarding and all things crazy. He made a good living traveling the world as an extreme sports commentator. I actually saw him on MTV a while later. He had figured out how to make skateboarding, good times and talking work for him. Go figure.

Whatever your passion is, there is a way to make it happen. Look at me, I make my living doodling, working very deeply with people about their work, lives, etc --- many people in my life have mocked the nature and seriousness of what I am into. After several years (and a lot of effort), I have woven all of my supposedly strange interests into a creative and successful livelihood. Where there is a will there is a way.

Seek Out Positive Role Models: There are plenty of nay sayers in the world. Forget about em. Seek out and surround yourself with people who believe things can be done and are doing them. You can jump start your SHIFT-IT process in the work / right livelihood department by being around people of a more uplifting and positive vibration. Their positivity and mindset will rub off on you. Even reading about people you resonate with can be very powerful. So hone up on biographies, interviews, and the like. These resources can open your perspective and shift your thoughts.

Other ways to meet positive people: attend conferences and events. Every year I make a couple of personal development travel trips (last months Speed Copy-Writing workshop is a good example). This can be pricey, especially when Im juggling cash flow and other priority issues in a growing practice. But its ultimately worth it to me because of the people I am exposed to and their reality.

Most of these folks play in a bigger league than I currently do. By being around them, I start to see myself in them. If they can do it, so can I. I hear and see what their worlds are like. What they think. What they have accomplished. What their norm is. All of this impacts my own vibration. I go away humming at a higher level than I began. My ideas about my self and what I can accomplish expand exponentially. Consciousness shifts. Like attracts like.

Problems Are Par for the Course: Talking about biographies --- I am currently reading Mark Burnetts book called Jump In. Mark is the television producer that created Eco-Challenge, Survivor and The Apprentice, among other TV shows. This guy has made an incredible livelihood for himself after emigrating from England with next to nothing. One thing that comes across again and again in his book is the naturalness of problems emerging in fact, he writes: the only thing you can be certain of in business is that problems you have not thought of are headed your way.

Yes, there will be problems when you go for creating work that you really love (whether you work for someone else or do your own entrepreneurial thing). It is par for the course. Its unrealistic to think there wont be. But by anticipating them and accepting them as natural youll remain calm when they occur. Problems happen whether you are doing work you dislike or doing work you love. So, if problems will exist regardless, why not go for the work you really enjoy and sort them out as they happen?!

Right Livelihood: A Continuous Process: Creating work that you love is and will continue to be a process. Just when one thing gets worked out, another thing emerges. Things that seem to be catastrophic, with some hindsight and a bigger perspective actually turn out to be blessings. And visa versa. And, what was once enjoyable can become mundane and boring. It is an ever-evolving process. And, that is ok. Just keep asking yourself what feels good to me now?!. And organize your work and life around the answers. You can create whatever you can imagine and believe. So stretch your thinking to believe you can create work that really works for you.

2006 Christina L. Merkley

Christina Merkley, "The SHIFT-IT Coach" and creator of the SHIFT-IT Graphic Coaching Process is a Visioning and Planning Expert specializing in Graphic Facilitation and Law of Attraction techniques. Based in charming Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, she works deeply with individuals, couples and groups in defining and getting what they really want in work and life. For more information visit: http://www.shift-it-coach.com and http://www.makemark.com

Like Me Like You
This article was prompted by a question I read, it went something like this, If you met yourself in the street would you like yourself? This got me to thinking, there were a lot of things that irritated me about myself, that I felt embarrassed about ...

Boost Your Self Esteem Instantly!
Do you feel besieged by forces beyond your control?Perhaps you have problems at work which seem insurmountable. Lately, most of your work has been displeasing to your boss. You feel stressed out because the new and improved versions of your work have...

How Do I Love Myself?
We know that we should love our self, but sometimes were not sure how to go about it. Here is a little checklist for you to get you started.Begin by checking to see if your immediate physical needs are met at this moment. Do you need healthy food? Ar...

Loving Yourself First
Whoooaaa! Wait a minute! What did she say? Did she say I am supposed to be selfish? That selfish love is better than loving someone else first? Isnt this backwards? I dont know about this!Right! That is what I am saying that if we do not love...

Falling In Love With Yourself First!
To be loved is a wonderful thing. However, you must first love yourself. There is no way that you can receive love the way it is intended to be given if you do not love yourself. Loving yourself means taking care of your body, inside and out. It ...

How To Love Yourself Indulgently And Unconditionally
Everyone wants to love and be loved. Love is Power. Self-Love is the power to accept yourself exactly as you are at this moment and the confidence to allow grace, meaning and focus to flow into your life.When you love yourself, you honor your essen...

Fun And Easy Self Esteem Building Exercises And Activities
There are simply times when we feel so bad about ourselves. It can be caused by a lot of things. Heartbreak is one of the most common reasons for low self esteem and is often the case for people who lost their self to their relationship. For the peop...

Five Tips To Overcoming A Low Self Esteem
Make no mistake about it; overcoming a low self esteem increases your chances of success in life. The career path you choose, or the relationships that you nurture will benefit to some degree when it comes to your level of self esteem. Overcoming a...

Self Esteem Can Be Created With A Simple Name
Self esteem can often seem elusive, as if its something out there that you have to go get. If you have low self esteem, it may feel like you cant possibly raise your self esteem by yourself.The truth is, however, that high self esteem is within you ...

Boosting Self Confidence and Self Esteem For a Better You
Without any cause for a debate or argument, everybody would agree that with a little bit more self confidence and self esteem a person can elevate his self worth. He or she can become a better person with more belief in his or her self. You can see t...