I don’t think it’s important to love your job, but I do think it’s important to enjoy it, at least to some extent. I believe you can derive enjoyment from most jobs, even, or perhaps especially, from ‘menial’ ones. It all depends on how you approach your work and how you frame it.
For example, my first job was mainly janitorial work. I cleaned toilets, mopped floors, kept things clean and tidy. I could have framed the situation like this: “This is so demeaning, cleaning up other people’s filth. I’m too smart for this!” Framing it that way would have made me hate my job. I would loathe going into work, lamenting about how I’m better than the work.
I didn’t frame it that way, though, and there’s a big reason why: It was because of my boss. He owned the company and yet he was the one that showed me how to do my job. He could have delegated someone else to show me the ropes, but he opted to get his hands dirty. He also told me why the work I did was important. Keeping things clean helped my coworkers by giving them a clean environment to work in. It helped lower stress and was healthier. It also presented a better image to our customers and gave them a clean environment to walk into and do business.
Now, I lucked out when it came to bosses. I understand that my experience isn’t the norm. But the wisdom he passed on can be applied elsewhere. Knowing why your job is worth doing helps you in doing it. Ask yourself: What value am I providing? If the job didn’t have value, you wouldn’t be getting paid to do it. If you don’t think you’re getting paid enough for the value you bring, ask for a raise or find another job. Be realistic about how much value you bring, though.
The more I did my job, the more I started liking it. I enjoyed making things neat and tidy. I enjoyed the fact that I could listen to music or an audio-book while I worked. I enjoyed that I could work alone and have time to just think. Cleaning can be very meditative and somewhat relaxing. My job wasn’t glamorous or high-paying, but I found satisfaction in it. Because of that, I ended up doing it quite well and earned a reputation at the company for cleanliness. I was promoted into more advanced positions within the company, but my neatness standard was still mentioned. When something was cleaned especially well, it was considered “Jesse-clean”.
I learned to not think any work was beneath me, with the exception of anything that would compromise my morals. That’s not something my boss told me, it was something he showed me. He was at the top of the company, but he showed me how to take care of the dirtiest jobs within that company. I learned a lot from him and I’m grateful he was the first boss I had.
All this isn’t to say that you shouldn’t find a job you love. If there’s something you want, go after it. What I’m saying here is that you don’t need a job you love in order to enjoy your job. Focus on the positive aspects of your job and if you really can’t find any, it’s time to find a new job.
I think each person needs to find meaning in their life, but that meaning doesn’t have to be derived from their job. Meaning can be derived from many places, like pursuing hobbies, raising a family, helping your community, or writing on a blog. If where you get meaning doesn’t pay the bills, that’s fine. If your job is so-so, try framing it in a different way in order to enjoy it more. Be playful with it. My day job is working in a refinery. When people ask what I do, I always respond, “I play with fire.” I enjoy what I do. I don’t ‘love’ it, but I enjoy it and I’m fine with that. It allows me to pursue that which I find very meaningful, like dance and writing.
If you already love your job, then that’s great! This can apply to any task you don’t really like doing. Focus on the positive aspects of it, focus on why you’re doing it. Don’t like cleaning your place? Think about how it feels when things are clean and orderly, think about what that does to your state of mind. How can you frame it to enjoy it more?
When it comes to doing things you don’t like, changing the way you think about the task makes a big difference. It’s just a matter of perspective.
We all spend a lot of time working or doing things we don’t like, why not try to enjoy the ride?