It’s fair to say that most people do not enjoy the work they do. Most subsist or do whatever it takes to survive. It is a modern notion that the majority of people can have ‘fulfilling’ jobs. And luckily we live in a world where there is the possibility of making that happen. We can have jobs that fill our souls or make us happy or help us to a goal through what we do not just what we get paid. However, as was pointed out to me recently, you’re lucky if you like your job and doubly lucky if you love it. And getting paid what your worth for it, well there’s the lottery for ya.
The thing is, just because you don’t love your job, just because it doesn’t fulfill you or doesn’t even piqué your interest, doesn’t mean you get to phone it in. Very few people have jobs that don’t affect other people in some way. Everything is interconnected and someone out there, a co-worker, a customer, a patron, a client, a boss…you get the picture…someone depends on what you are doing. And how you do it affects them. Doing it half-assed or with a negative attitude affects them. Avoiding doing it affects them. I have heard more stories recently from people who had actively campaigned to get people at their work fired or let go, not because this was a bad or unpleasant person, but because they refused to do their job. They avoided work, they refused to follow through on requests from co-workers, they didn’t return calls or emails, and they were never where they were supposed to be.
Don’t be that person. You may not love what you do, but whatever you are doing, do it 100%. Smile if it doesn’t kill you to do it, try your best, be there in the moment and do everything you need to do for that job. Be the best at it that you can be. Even if you’re bad at it, at least you tried your best and that is all that you can give. And if you are in agony in the job and can’t stand it another moment, don’t take that out on your co-workers by acting out, put that energy into finding another job. Find something that will work, give notice so as not to burn bridges and you can leave knowing you were the best you in that moment. Because it’s not the job that defines you, it’s your choices and your actions while you are in the job just like it is in all the rest of your life.