3 Steps to Hating Your Job Less

Today’s post is by David Ramos, author of the upcoming book Builder Chaser Dreamer.

It’s 11pm Monday night. In seven hours I have to get up for work again. I reach for my smart phone and play through two more levels of the brick breaker app I just downloaded.

I hate my job.

And chances are, if you took to the time to click on this article, you do too. Maybe you don’t hate everything about your job; maybe you have just grown tired of the routine or have been deflated by workplace drama. Whatever it is, you know something has to change for you to be excited about work again.

But what? What makes a job enjoyable? Does it have to be in your field? Do you need to make more money doing it? No.

The solution is actually much simpler than that and the following three concepts can be applied no matter what field you are in or level you are at. These can help you not only hate your job less, but learn to love it again (or for the first time!).

Discover how it impacts other people

Believing that your work doesn’t really matter is one of the worst feelings. I once spent two weeks re-cutting plastic pieces at a factory only to be told they decided to throw them all away and order different parts. I felt like someone had just pulled the rug out from under me. All that work, all that time – for nothing.

Understanding the impact your work has on real people can have a huge influence on your attitude towards the job. It’s natural for us to want our work to have meaning and actually progress our company or help our customers. That is a human desire, not just a work desire.

If you feel like your work is lacking in importance, take some time to diagram who it actually affects. If you did not do your job, could other departments do theirs? How would the customer be affected if you neglected your specific task? These questions will help you see that your work is important and that in some way you matter more than you could previously see.

Ask for more autonomy

Over the past decade I have had experience in the three primary roles of business: employee, manager, and entrepreneur. One of the biggest differences between these positions is the amount of freedom each role provides. But freedom is not only for top executives and startups; autonomy is something that can be built into any workplace culture.

Autonomy is disciplined freedom, not chaos. It’s not showing up to work whenever you want and taking a two-hour lunch break. Autonomy is the ability to manage your own schedule in terms of what projects to be working on in order to take advantage of how you work best.

Micromanagement kills enthusiasm.

In order to achieve more autonomy it may require having a serious talk with your superiors. Or if you are a higher-ranking individual than you have to work on trusting more to those you work with. It takes intentional steps and a shift in company mentality to grow a culture of autonomy but the benefits are worth it: more productive and happier employees, less stressed bosses, customer satisfaction increases due to improved services, and much more.

Track what skills you are improving

Boredom breeds discontent. It’s far too easy to fall into the rhythm of doing the same tasks in the same ways day in and day out. But that sort of routine leaves your mind begging for more. That is why we wander, daydream, and spend company time on social networks.

A challenging job is an interesting job. People want to improve their skills and become masterful. Stories about the greatest war generals or the most skilled orators capture out attention. We want to emulate them and show mastery at something.

A job can offer this is we pay attention. I worked in customer service for a number of years during my time in college. The job was simple and I had learned most everything within a month. In fact, I started training those who had been there for years because I was discovering things they had not. It wasn’t long until I was bored and asking my boss if I could do homework during my shift.

Around this time I stumbled upon an article that challenged its readers to find something at their job which no one enjoys doing and become the best at it. In customer service, that thing was dealing with rude and angry people. I took the challenge and every time there was a conflict or an angry phone call I stepped in. It was difficult, emotionally exhausting, and infuriating at times but I slowly developed an aptitude for calming tense situations and meeting the needs of everyone involved.

This skill is one of my most prized possessions now and I challenge you to do likewise. Become an expert at something at your work, no matter how small or strange it is, so that whenever that specific need arises you are the first person they want to call.

It’s up to you…

Hating your job can seep into every other area of your life and cause dissatisfaction if you let it. But taking responsibility at work can also improve how you deal with life outside of your 9-5 world. Practice these tips and watch how your situation improves. Who knows, perhaps you’ll even start going to bed on time because you enjoy your job again!

If you have advice which has helped you enjoy your work, or have used these concepts in the past, write your experiences in the comments below. I would love to read them.

– David Ramos is a serial blogger and author of the upcoming book Builder Chaser Dreamer. His goal in writing and sharing what he has learned is to become a dream enabler – helping people create the lives they want from the passions they have. You can read more from him here: https://davidxramos.squarespace.com. 

Did you enjoy this post? If so, I highly encourage you to take about 30 seconds to become a regular subscriber to this blog. It’s free, fun, practical, and only a few emails a week (I promise!). SIGN UP HERE to get the thoughtLEADERS blog conveniently delivered right to your inbox!

Photo: I hate this job by Yasser Alghofily