So you may not have landed in your dream job. And for any number of reasons you can’t simply bail right now. But can you still find meaning if your job feels stupid … at least to you? And why do your coworkers seem content enough with the same work you find so brainless?
Work is a funny thing. Rarely does anyone feel their job is perfect. So, consciously or not, each person does their own version of cost benefit analysis. Is it worth putting up with the imperfections for what this job gives you that you need for yourself or family?
Job feels stupid? Maybe look again.
Maybe the job that feels mindless to you is serving food to customers in a restaurant. Or handing out plastic numbers to customers in a fitting room. Perhaps your work is cleaning bathrooms. Or helping start a new agency to help homeless people but you can’t get the bureaucracy to change.
I’ve done all those jobs. And I admit at times I did feel like what I was doing had little value … especially when I had such high hopes for myself. But once you pull back a little and use a different perspective, you can find value in each job. Stupid really is in the eye of the beholder.
Did you treat a customer well? Maybe you made someone smile. Or you listened to a co-worker who was feeling down. All these equal kindnesses that are greater than the sum of its apparent parts. And you need to give yourself credit for even these simple things you add to the world.
Did you suggest a way to improve the way the company functions? Perhaps you helped your boss look good even if you didn’t get the credit (though you deserve it and this is something to handle separately). Most of all, did you at least do your best even if it feels like your best went nowhere?
All these actions have meaning, even if the meaning may not result in an obvious short-term win for you or the company. We are the sum of our actions, and if we spend our days doing half-assed work with a dog-eared attitude, then that’s who we become. Even outside of work.
Ripple effects of attitude
Think of someone with a rotten attitude who only does what’s minimally required. Maybe they also spend a lot of the day sharing their dissatisfaction. Complaining may feel good in the moment, but what energy do they put out in the world? And what energy do they absorb (and reinforce) inside themselves?
Do they stand out from the crowd in a way others admire? Will this help them be successful in five years? Or will they remain in the same place, or some similar job even if a different title, doing pretty much the same thing. And still complaining.
The truth is that they will not be the ones to be chosen for (or even hear about) wonderful new opportunities. Nor will they form relationships that help them advance. And, odds are they’ll never excel at what they do (too busy still thinking the job feels stupid) … or even truly feel good about themselves inside.
Your work career eventually reflects your attitude, combined with the amount of commitment you give to your work. And the all-important career relationships you form greatly depend on what you project to others. Even when serving a meal.
You carry your thoughts and attitude — and the energy you give to your work for so many hours a day — with you wherever you go. And I’ve been offered new opportunities in the least predictable times & places because of what I projected, even when a job feels stupid!
Can sucky attitudes still succeed?
Can someone with a bad attitude still get ahead? Sure. For a while. If they do their job well. But eventually attitude catches up with them unless they’re blessed by a protector. Or they’re the son / daughter of the president of the company, I guess.
But even then, I doubt you’d really want to be in the shoes of someone who has to live with the notion that they aren’t really very good at what they do — and pretty much everything they do feels stupid to them.
Engaging fully pays off
Most of the people who are truly happy in life also engage fully in what they do, whether at work or at home. They don’t wait for things to be handed to them or to be recognized for their brilliance while they sit and do nothing.
They dig in all the way with full commitment, no matter what they work on. And they can get enjoyment from simply knowing they’re doing their best. By not waiting for approval or spending energy judging yourself, you can make even a simple task feel better for yourself. (If this seems hard to believe try washing dishes with a smile and then with a frown.)
No matter where you are, you can find meaning that may not be part of your clearly defined job responsibilities. Smart people seek out things that make them happy. Or they go out of their way to add things they’ll enjoy. They don’t spend their days focused on what sucks.
And if a self-created attitude shift can help get you there (while giving whatever you do your all), it’s worth trying. And trying again and again. After a while, it starts to feel natural. From my own experience, the world will notice. And every job has value.
If you focus in & take your work seriously
and look for small ways to add something good
the value you feel will also increase!
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Fed Up With All the Things My Job Doesn’t Have!
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