Opinion: Design the work you love where you are

Andrea Battaglia

I’ve lost count of how many professionals I’ve met who say they’re just “waiting for the right opportunity.” A role that perfectly matches their passion. A team that runs exactly the way they’d like. A job that feels tailor-made for their gifts.

The problem? That opportunity rarely falls into your lap.

Great leaders know they can’t wait for a dream job to show up fully formed. They design the work they love right where they are – and they do it by taking ownership, creating momentum and making their strengths impossible to miss. Here’s how to do it.

1. Trade waiting for working. Passion without effort leads to frustration. You can’t expect the perfect role to materialize just because you’ve identified what excites you.

Start by writing down your end goal, then work backward. What skills, experiences or results would make you undeniable for that opportunity? Build them now.

Volunteer for projects, raise your hand for stretch assignments and say yes when growth feels inconvenient.

The path to work you love is paved with effort. Even small steps forward compound over time.

2. Schedule your passion. If you want to spend more time on what energizes you, schedule it.

Too often, leaders claim they want to write, mentor, build strategy or innovate – but they never block the time.

Passion can’t be an afterthought. Protect time in your week – every week – for the work you want to grow into. Treat it like any other business priority.

When you make your passions visible and consistent, others will start to notice and doors will open.

3. Find it in the work you already do. Not every role is a perfect match for your passions. But the best leaders know how to infuse what they love into the work in front of them.

Maybe you thrive on organizing chaos, solving problems or building people up. Look closely: Those opportunities are almost always hiding in your current responsibilities. And when you lean into them, you’ll add value, earn trust and feel more fulfilled.

If you don’t see it, design it: Suggest a new process or take on an initiative. Shape the role instead of waiting for the role to shape you.

You don’t need a promotion, a new title, or a new job to move closer to work that excites you. Here’s where to begin today:

• Identify one passion you want more of in your week, then block time for it on your calendar.
• Look for hidden opportunities in your current role. Ask, “Where can I use my best strengths today?”
• Teach someone a skill you love using. Mentoring is a powerful way to expand passion.
• Ask your leader for one assignment that aligns with what energizes you and explain why it matters.

Dream jobs aren’t found. They’re created. You can control how you show up, what you grow and the opportunities you create for yourself. And the sooner you take ownership of designing the work you love, the faster you’ll build a career that feels both purposeful and energizing.

Don’t wait for the dream job. Design the work you love. Start right where you are.

Andrea Battaglia is the chief excellence officer at Abacus in Springfield. She can be reached at abattaglia@abacuspro.com.