Don’t you just love the possibility of the new year? Did you resolve to get fit in 2015? As in diet and exercise?
What about the other kind of fit – that between you and your work? My experience is real satisfaction plus more comes from fit between who you are and what you do.
In the world of I-O Psychology, the concepts of person-job fit and person-organization fit are often studied. Both are important. Correlates include better employee performance, better attitudes, and lower turnover – all desirable outcomes for companies. What is interesting about these findings is the relationship between fit and engagement and also how employees with both take an active role in making it happen.
Steve Jobs sums it up best:
- “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.”
- “Your time is limited, don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma, which is living the result of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other opinions drown your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition, they somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”
Did you resolve to get fit? If you aren’t being true to who you are eight (or more) hours a day, now is the time to start exploring what it would take to find your way there. Some get lucky and figure this out with little trouble but for most it takes time and a plan. Only you can make it happen.
Coaching can help.
Would love to know your thoughts on fit. Share your comments here.
Here’s one from the archives to consider as you look toward 2015.