One of the most valuable lessons I have learned through the work experience I’ve had is this:

“Work somewhere that gets you out of bed in the morning.”

 

Does that mean every day you will get the feeling you have the first time you see the sun after 10 days of torrential down pour? Of course not! It means you can jump, crawl, groan or stretch out of bed knowing you have a place to go to where people genuinely care about making a difference and who genuinely care about YOU. I call that choosing coffee.

I have not always had the coffee experience. Imagine working in a small environment – some could even describe it as a family environment. Now imagine watching the hardest worker in that family (my office sister if you will) being called into “daddy’s office” where blame was shifted and voices were raised. I had to watch my sister walk out crying; defeated. The next day my alarm went off; I turned over without even opening my eyes and… snooze button.

 

This goes on for days, weeks and months. Some days started out with a Pumpkin Spice Latte because I genuinely felt like I was making a difference with the work I was doing. But there was something missing: the genuine care for ME. So I left in search of my perfect blend.

 

In my experience, the only way to grow in this “real world” affectionately known as your career is to not only love what you do, but to be loved for what you bring to the table. Don’t get me wrong, you won’t always love the one you’re with as Stephen Stills puts it. In fact, there are days when the alluring smell of bacon, homemade pumpkin pancakes and fresh coffee won’t even excite you out of bed in the morning.

 

The love (and maybe love is too strong of a word – let’s try respect or appreciation) I am referring to is entering a work environment where failure leads to success and staying comfortable is taboo. It’s a place where growth is a mandatory part of your job description, and there are people surrounding you who genuinely want to help you get there. There’s that word again: genuine.

 

If you get nothing else from this article, I hope you remember this:

“Wherever your career takes you, choose to be genuine. Choose to be inspired.

Choose coffee.“

 

So what did you choose today – Coffee or Snooze Button – and why? Share the ingredients you love in your “coffee” in the comments below.

 

Connect with Danielle Williams here.