Work like a new hire

This post came out from The Straits Times (31 May 2008)
Title - Work like a new hire

Some pointers that I've got are:
1. Love what you do
2. Strive to impact others
3. Stay curious always
4. Mix with like-minded people

On Love what you do

• One way to rediscover your passion is remembering what got you into doing what you are doing now in the first place. Which aspects of your job are you truly passionate about?
• Start identifying what really matters to you and work on the areas that you value most in your career. Take pride in what you love doing and pursue it relentlessly. 
• If your current job does not allow you to do that, it might be best to rediscover that passion in an organisation or environment that does or encourages that - so that you can thrive and make a career out of the things you love to do.

On Strive to impact others

• People who constantly seek to impact others through their work often retain a high level of passion in what they do.
• If you want more meaning in your job, you might want to explore how you can transform your passion into a passion for others - how you can impact your environment or the people around you. It is not how you begin, but how you end that matters.

On Stay curious always

• Many people feel stuck in their careers because they are not learning anything new. One of the ways to keep that motivational flame in you going is to constantly fuel it with ideas, information and news relevant to your work. 
• Unless you are undoubtedly the best in the industry, there is always something to learn, something that you can do much better than your peers or your competitors. Identify the areas in which others are doing better than you, and make it your mission to outperform them.
• Incorporate continuous learning as an integral part of your job, and develop an insatiable curiosity and appetite for anything and anyone that is relevant to your line of work.
• When you are constantly on a quest for more knowledge to improve yourself, it expands your horizons greatly and keeps you from feeling stagnant and bored.
• You owe it to yourself to live up to your passion and let it drive your career, instead of allowing it to become a stumbling block in your life.

On Mix with like-minded people

• You will be surprised at the amount of positive energy you can get from being in the same room with like-minded people - people who share the same dreams, hobbies or passion as you do. This is something magical about listening and talking to others in the same industry or job - who may be equally enthusiastic or even more passionate about their work than you are - and hearing about their experiences first hand.
• Surround yourself with the "newly passionate" - people who are new to the job and brimming with fresh confidence and pride in their work. Their relentless pursuit of success and learning will serve as a strong reminder of how ardent you used to be when you first get into the job, and may help inject a fresh perspective to your work.
• You can continue to maintain a high level of energy and passion not only through learning from them, but also by teaching, coaching, mentoring and sharing with others what you know. 

Yours,
Something Small Thinking Big