We are sexy and we know it, but too many people enter the workplace disappointed and frustrated with their jobs. Are you left wondering how to love a job you hate?
First off, you’re not alone if you have your job. According to the Associated Press, 53.6 percent of graduates age 25 and under are unemployed or underemployed. This makes for perfect storm for high job dissatisfaction for young grads.
The standard reaction to dealing with less-than-ideal work situations is to become all around consumed by it. Lynn Taylor, the author of Tame your Terrible Office Tyrant conducted a survey and found that employees spend six hours of their weekends worrying about their bosses and an additional 13 hours worrying during the work week.
Here’s how to love a job you hate.
1. Have a paradigm shift.
Stephan Covey, author of Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, explains that a paradigm is how you view the world. If you believe that your work should be the source of your happiness, you are setting yourself up for disappointments. They don’t call it fun time. It is called work for a reason. When you remember that it’s work, it’s not a bad deal when you think about it. That jerk of a boss is indeed paying you.
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2. Plow the field and know that the harvest will come
Instead of focusing on how much your job sucks right now, view your current position as plowing the field and preparing for harvest. Can you plant a seed and expect produce within minutes? No. Same with you career. View your career as a work in progress and know that you will reap what you sow.
In his book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell cites the “10,000 Hour Rule,” which states that it takes 10,000 hours in your field to become an expert. The problem, however, is when young adults are not putting in their time to develop skills and establish a career. Dr. Meg Jay, psychologist and author of The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter and How to Make the Most of them Now advises young adults to focus on your interests and talents to build the foundation for your career now.
Jay shows that 80 percent of life’s defining moments happen by age 35. Therefore, Gen Y, let’s roll up our sleeves, go to work, and make our own job satisfaction.
Use those two simple tips to learn how to love a job you hate!
