It’s Not What We Do (For Work). It’s How We Do It

To be sure, life circumstances play a significant role in shaping the work we do and the opportunities available to us. I don’t mean to be tone-deaf or to ignore the fact that many people around the world lack the luxury of reflecting on their relationship with work. But for many of us, whether our collars are blue or white, there is an opportunity to consider not just what we do, but how we do it.
 
I’ve spent my entire career in the office leasing business. The circumstances have varied, but the fundamental work has remained much the same. What’s been interesting to me lately is realizing just how much I’ve come to appreciate certain aspects of my work.
 
Of course, I don’t love every facet of it. But over the years, I’ve found ways to lean more heavily into the parts I genuinely enjoy, which also happen to be the things I do best. Yes, I still need to show up for the less enjoyable parts. But their impact on my overall happiness has diminished because I’ve learned to appreciate the opportunity to do my work well, in ways that are uniquely my own.
 
And I think that’s where the magic lies.
 
It’s not simply about becoming better at what we do. It’s about discovering our own individual ways of doing it better.
 
In my case, it took many years to develop the confidence to conduct my business in a way that feels authentically mine. I suspect this is true for others as well. Early in our careers, we tend to look outward for examples of how things should be done. We learn from others, adopt their methods, and measure ourselves against their standards. There’s value in that, of course. But eventually, perhaps, the greater opportunity is to look inward.
 
To recognize that the ways in which we see things differently, approach problems differently, and bring our own sensibilities to our craft aren't shortcomings to overcome. They may be our greatest strengths.
 
And perhaps it is in discovering and honoring those differences that we find not only greater success in our work, but greater joy in doing it.
 
This has certainly been true for me.