Why you need to create a love-hate list if you want to build your dream career.

What is the love and hate list

As the name suggests, this is a list that consists of two parts. One includes everything you like about your job, the other includes everything you hate.

A love-hate list helps you determine what you really want from a job, whether you're getting it in your current role, and whether it's time to try something new. To make it as useful as possible, you should include everything that comes to mind and is related to your career. Including past experiences, for example, what brought you pleasure in your previous place, and what caused difficulties and disappointment.

Why is it worth writing?

Many people want to change something in their career, but do not make any effort to find the root of their dissatisfaction with their current job. A love-hate list not only helps you understand which aspects of professional development are right for you and which are absolutely not, but also helps you get to the heart of your emotions.

It is intended only for you. So you won't have to worry about what others will think if they see it. This is a good opportunity to dig deeper, examine your thoughts and attitude towards work in general.

It’s easier to write a hate column because we usually see ourselves clearly in our current job and understand what doesn’t suit us about it. Recognizing and letting it out is very important. The love column makes us move away from negative emotions and imagine in what environment we could express ourselves as brightly as possible and succeed.

How to make a list

This exercise requires some time and thought. Don't expect to finish it in one sitting. It's best to sketch out a draft first, without thinking too much about each point, and then come back to it later and go into more detail.

Remember that you are not just looking for a new career path. You also need a life that matches it. So while you're making your love-hate list, think beyond your dream career, but also about the life of your dreams - about what is important to you in it and what kind of work is suitable for it.

Try to find a time when no one or nothing will disturb you. Divide the paper into two columns and start writing. Express your vision, not what you think you should write or what others expect you to write. No one will see this list, so allow yourself to be as open and honest as possible.

It may be difficult at first when you have empty columns in front of you. But once you start to have the first thoughts and ideas, you'll likely find that you have a lot to write about. Just try to specify each point. This will give you a much better understanding of what important to you. For example, instead of simply writing “helping people” in the love column, you could write “helping vulnerable people who are in dire straits and trying to change their lives.”

Include everything you love and hate not only about your current job, but also about your past job. Think about what you have learned as a professional or as an individual, what challenges you have faced and how they made you feel. Sometimes solving problems is even fun and interesting, and sometimes, on the contrary, it is an incredibly difficult test.

What questions will help?

If you don't know what to write or where to start, try answering the following questions:

• What helps you feel calm and relaxed?
• During which activities do you lose track of time and become immersed in flow state?
• What is the most favorable work environment for you? Every element is important here, from the atmosphere in the team and the work schedule to the things on your desk and the road from home to work and back.
• What deprives you of strength and energy?
• Which industry or field aligns with your personal goals, values, and ethics?

What to do with your love-hate list

Most likely, while you are working on it, you will have time to think about a lot. For example, some points will surprise you. Or you will be able to highlight the main topics. Or you will learn something new about yourself.

Based on your list of loves and hates, you can create a description of your ideal job. It doesn't have to look like a real job description. The idea is to drop the hate column and focus on the love column, what you want and what makes you feel good. This will be a kind of wish list that will be useful to you when looking for a job. When you start researching vacancies, you will immediately understand what matches your needs and what does not, and whether you are willing to compromise. It's also a good way to determine what questions to ask at the interview.

Then you can look at the love column and evaluate to what extent all of the above are present in your work now and how much it allows you to achieve your main goals and desires. If you want more, it may be time to look for career options that better suit your skills. values and hobbies. Or review your work routine and add more relevant tasks to it.

Making a love-hate list can be quite common, especially if you have doubts about your job or have just changed jobs. This is a great way to understand how you really feel about your career and how it makes you feel. And then use the knowledge you gain to figure out what you really want.