How many of us really enjoyed our jobs pre-pandemic?
Were you happy to head into work each day?
Did you feel valued and appreciated by your employer?
Did you have a healthy work-home life balance?
Was there ample room for you to grow and reach new goals?
If you could answer ‘yes’ to even two of these questions, I think you could have considered yourself blessed.
How about now? With Zoom calls, virtual schooling for the kids, usual stress outlets (bars, restaurants, nightlife, etc.) being shut down, and not to mention the looming threat of COVID-19 every time you leave your home; how are you feeling about your job these days? Do you even still have it? No one would judge you if the thrill of it all has slowly (or quickly) started to fade.
I’m someone who, funnily enough, really enjoyed her job prior to March 2020, like a lot. All of my life, I heard the following quote from my mother: “Do what you love; the money will follow.” And, more recently, I read online: “Working hard for something we don’t care about is called STRESS. Working hard for something we love is called PASSION.” Quite frankly, I’ve lived my life by these statements, and it took me well over a decade to discern that travel was the thing about which I was most “passionate.” By all accounts, up until this point, those statements have guided me through my career, sustained me when self-employment presented its challenges, and proven to mostly be true. But, boy oh, boy did 2020 test those beliefs to no end. Whew!
Here comes the hard part for me: allowing myself to be vulnerable on the internet while the rest of the world is only showing their highlight reel. *Sigh*
By the end of 2019, 2020 was actually projected to be one of my most lucrative years. I had destination weddings in the double digits, several large group vacations, four cruise groups, and multiple individual client reservations locked and loaded. Then, all of a sudden, in March 2020, COVID-19 came on the scene and gradually shred it all to pieces. My most promising year quickly turned into my biggest year of professional loss. As not to bore you with all the details, I’ll skip ahead and just say that I had to QUICKLY learn how to process loss, deal with changes that were outside of my control, and maintain passion for something that felt like it was slipping away.
My biggest takeaway from 2020? Pursuing a passion does not make you immune to stress, depression, financial woes, or the desire to give up. By no means is my intention to be a “Debbie Downer.” I just felt an overwhelming need to be brutally honest about some of my life lessons after living through the last year. And, while I still hold those quotes about passion from my mother and others near and dear to my heart, it’s important to recognize when external circumstances challenge every truth that lies within them.
If you do not already have one, FIND A THERAPIST! Please! Therapy has become an absolute necessity in my life, and I find it difficult to recall what life challenges were like before I started. Even if you think nothing is wrong, that’s the perfect time to start.
Lean on an accountability partner/friend. Mine is my best friend. It has to be someone who is rooting for your success and well-being, but will also be brutally honest with you when you need to hear hard truths. They won’t just leave you with the hard truths, however. They will help you navigate how to get through it. Be careful with this one. You want to make sure to give as much as you take. Make the accountability and care as reciprocal as possible.
Do something good for your body. I’m not a fan of exercise (lol), but I worked out with a virtual trainer twice a week and did a 21-day cleanse. It really helped with clearing my mind and having any chance at a good start to my day. I’m not great at meditation either, but I’m working to get better every day.
Keep work out of your bedroom. I used to be the queen of bringing my laptop to bed, but no more. I found it adding more stress to an area that is meant for peace and rest. A great way to help kill a passion is to make you dislike areas of your own home.
Be kind to yourself. The circumstances of this pandemic were not our fault, and I cannot tell you how many times I’ve had to remind myself of that. You can’t be good to clients/work if you’re not being kind to yourself.
Find little ways to remind yourself why you started this job, or your own business, in the first place. If you’re someone who enjoys daily affirmations, include reasons why you love your job in those statements.
Journal, log, diary…I don’t care. But, find a way to release your feelings, worries, frustrations, joys, losses and wins, because nothing good comes from keeping emotions bottled up.
Find the opportunities in every professional setback. This is easier said than done, but once you do, it makes you so much more resilient when the next obstacle comes along.
Have more interactions with successful people in your field. Whether it’s a video call or following them on social media, we can find inspiration in folks who are making their way through this pandemic and doing well. Following travel influencers and Black travel pages has truly helped to keep me afloat when I felt like throwing it all away.
Most importantly, even though this has been the longest year ever, realize that this, too, is temporary and shall pass. It will be difficult, but industries will recover, and we will be able to do the things (and jobs) we love again.
Please let me know what you’ve been doing to maintain your passion in a pandemic. I’d love to hear from you!
