Jokes about hating one’s job dominate the internet. While a vast majority doesn’t leave, there are those who do. Of that number, a portion of them talk about how quitting their job transformed their life. They move on to talk about the successful business they have and how they are happy If you have read a ton of these stories and are still in a job you dislike, you might need to rethink how you are thinking about your career.
Think About Your Career
1. Really, why do you hate it?
Making a long list of why you hate your job is easy. Even how the person in the next desk breathes could be a cause of aggravation. Let’s use the example of a video production company and that of an administrator. One of the reasons for hating their job is how last minute things tend to be, and everything is high pressured. We’ve all see in job advertisements of roles requiring a person with the ability to work under pressure. Additionally, they should remain effective and keep a positive attitude.
For everything you dislike about the job, look at the flip side. Could it be that you’re under performing and thus not finding the job challenging. That is a tough question, but being honest about it means you can take ownership for the part you are playing in making your job less desirable.
2. Are you in a bullsh*t job?
In his book, Bullsh*t Jobs: A Theory, David Graeber, talks about the existence of meaningless jobs. As an anthropologist, he states that more than half of the work society undertakes in meaningless. It is difficult for a person aware that their role in the company is not required to have high work ethics. They might do their best to be diligent and play their part, but it still will not matter.
Most people finish their work in less than a quarter or half of the time spent in the office. On some days, they will have nothing to do. On such days, it is disheartening to wake up in the morning knowing that you are going to the office to waste time. It drastically affects one’s self-worth as finding meaning in one’s work becomes impossible. The human is wired to find purpose in work, and if what you do is pointless, doing so will be hard.
3. Are you able to make peace?
Using your list and the fact that your job could be entirely pointless, are you able to live with it? You might not be ready or able to quit your job and finally start a company that will eventually make it to the Fortune 500 companies. However, you should come to a compromise if you are stuck. Make a mental shift to make peace with your lot in life and try your best to find happiness elsewhere. It is a lot better than complaining.
