The Gift of Doing What You Love

Thanksgiving morning, singers, musicians, Broadway cast members, dancers, hosts, and performers of all consequences got back to doing what they love: plying their craft for our enjoyment. While it was no doubt rewarding for them just to be performing, it was perhaps even more meaningful for their audience. Thanks to their work, we laughed, waxed nostalgic, felt pride, and were inspired.

Meanwhile, writers, directors, technicians, camera operators, and cable pullers all got to do work that mattered not just to them but, again, to us as well. Their efforts made it possible for millions of us to take a much-needed, three-hour break from 2020. Even more importantly, for many families, it was not just a respite, but a chance to continue a family tradition spanning multiple generations.

And then there were the Macy’s employees who gave up their personal time for rehearsals and recordings to provide a “put a bow on it” piece of entertainment. But the impact was greater than a strong finish. It was a touching, personal gift, a moment of warmth, shared with tenderness, and hopefulness.

The point is that, while there is always satisfaction in a “job well done,” the true impact on the audience is often far deeper. In this case, I strongly suspect that everyone involved in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade knew that they were doing a lot more than filling three hours of TV time on Thanksgiving morning.

The gift of doing what you love has benefits that far exceed what a person outside of your industry might expect.

Working in radio, you know this too. Right?

Love the One You’re With

There’s a positive relationship between understanding the end result of what you do and performance excellence.

The New York Times reported that “Employees are far more engaged when their work allows them to make a positive difference in the world.” They also found job satisfaction to be 1.7 times higher. Staffers were 1.4 times more engaged in their work. And, more good news for business owners and managers, these engaged individuals were more than three times as likely to stay with their employer.

FastCompany agrees on the positive power of knowing the emotional ramifications of your work. “Meaning comes when we realize the impact of our work on others… People aren’t inspired solely by what they do. People are lit up when they know why what they do matters….Increasing a sense of meaningfulness at work is one of the most potent–and underutilized–ways to increase productivity, engagement, and performance.”

In what amounts to a great sound bite, Business Consultant David Cooperrider says, “What we appreciate, appreciates.”

How to Rediscover the Magic 

Still, even knowing how much good comes out of one’s work, there are low spots.

Reading about (or worse, experiencing) RIFs (the euphemistic “reduction in force”), finding more on your plate at work and less in your wallet, or simply feeling like you’re on a hamster wheel to nowhere, can intrude on what you know to be the true value of your work.

When you find yourself there, and most everyone does at some time or another, The Ladders suggests the following for reigniting passion and rediscovering the magic:

• Pursue Mastery – your goal is to get better at what you do every day
• Find Purpose – recognize that what you do is meaningful and has a greater importance
• Adjust your work “recipe” – if work isn’t exciting enough, add some chaos and unpredictability; if work is too madcap, add some structure
• Set new goals and reward yourself when you achieve them

Similarly, Forbes advises:

• Focus on what you like – including “finding joy around the edges”
• Give yourself a challenge
• Have a physical or mental image that inspires you (Mike’s Note: Remember when we used to have a picture of our “ideal listener” taped to the board?)
• Volunteer
• Laugh more

Lows happen – absolutely. But they don’t diminish the gift of doing what you love because the true, deep value of your work remains constant.

Take it from Santa Claus

Take another look at this year’s Macy’s Santa (the photo above).

Magic flying reindeer or not, Santa can take pride in again delivering billions of packages to every part of the world, by himself, all in 24 hours. But does he look like a man who gets this level of satisfaction solely from driving the ultimate Amazon Sprinter delivery truck?

I suspect Santa knows a far greater joy. He knows, beyond a doubt that there’s a deeper, more meaningful benefit that comes from doing his best. He knows what his work means to others. Many, many others.

As part of the entertainment industry, what you do matters in a way that goes far beyond “job well done.”

You bring joy, laughter, empathy, nostalgia, understanding, tradition, and a future vision to countless lives.

The gift of doing what you love – it’s the “bonus present” under the tree.

Related

Radio is Doing Heroic Things Every Day

Committed to Doing Your Best Shows Ever? Then You’re to be T.O.A.S.T.E.D

© 2020, Mike O’Malley, O’Malley Media Group, LLC

Photo Credit: Macy’s, Inc.