Just when I was out of school, in the hot, sauna-like summer, I delivered fish and poultry home in a non-air-conditioned van. The smells alone were suffocating, and once a dog bit me at someone’s door.
Worst of all, you’ve set minimum wages, and tips are banned. Very bad job, right?
Guess again. That miserable “opportunity” to buy my first stereo system on a makeshift plan helped me feel like an adult. Plus, it led to my next job, Inside for a Change, at a local market, and it helped me get my own apartment, while I worked my way through college.
A year later, I moved three blocks from the beach, had a wonderful girlfriend, and was working in the publishing giant, Time-Life, as the top salesperson, then manager.
I am a firm believer in the idea that there is not much difference between good and bad jobs. It is our attitude towards them that is important, and what we take of ourselves in the long run, that is important.
Here are five things you should tell yourself when you’re working in a less-than-ideal environment:
(1) All things pass, including this function. Nothing lasts forever, and the game we play with ourselves, worrying about a position staying forever, is greatly exaggerated.
(2) I am not what I do for a living. Everyone has to get their act together, and the only place jobs look perfect are in manipulated resumes. For me, saying “I am a lawyer” or “I am a counselor” or “I am a writer” equalizes me with these roles. To be precise, I would say, sometimes I’m a lawyer, sometimes I consult, sometimes I write. But I’m not the sum of these parts, and neither are you. You transcend any role, no matter how trivial or glorious it may seem.
(3) Look around you, at the job, and say to yourself, “Their fate is not mine.” You don’t have the same feeling that when you’re on a bus, train, or plane, you’re using the same car, temporarily, to get from one point to another. But when the transport reaches the station, everyone dispersed.
(4) This function will make perfect sense one day, and what I learn here, without knowing it, will provide me with great value, later. Every job I have, and all of my consulting posts, have taught me valuable lessons and skills. Think of your co-workers, your customers, and, above all, your manager as teachers.
(5) I have many choices, and now I choose to be here. I have the strength and ability to do something else quickly, if I want to. I’m not stuck, and I’m not a victim of circumstances or anyone else’s. I’m free!
Remember: jobs are neither good nor bad. These are judgments we make about what we do. Believe me, work is a gift, be grateful that you have the energy and opportunity to do it, and the benefit.