“The key to realizing a dream is to focus not on success but on significance – and then even the small steps and little victories along your path will take on greater meaning”  – Oprah Winfrey
People who spend their time working at a job they love  not only have a better quality of life, they are more likely to be successful than those of us who toil at jobs that have no meaning apart from the paycheck we get.

Most of us focus on the end result – the ultimate goal – when choosing a career path to fit our lives.  This practice can result in frustration when our work isn’t met with the immediate success we desire.

If, instead, we chose careers that were fulfilling – careers that we would want to do even if we weren’t being paid for them, we might learn to enjoy the process and not only the end reward.  Then, like Oprah said, “even the small steps and little victories along your path will take on greater meaning.”  I would add that even the failures would be valuable if we pursued careers that we could love.  Failures provide valuable learning experiences that are hard to appreciate when all we care about is cash.

Does this mean that we all need to quit what we are doing and become artists and firefighters and schoolteachers in order to be happy and successful?  I don’t think so.  Sometimes a slight adjustment in attitude or position can make all the difference in the amount of enjoyment someone gets from their career.  Maybe a similar job at a different company or a similar job at a company of your own would give you the enthusiasm you need to start appreciating the little victories.

Life is too short to focus only on monetary success.  We need to be able to enjoy the ride as well.  What can you do to make your career more fulfilling?  Start thinking about your career as your own, and you might be able to appreciate each step along the way as a valuable lesson or victory.