An eight hour work day, an hour lunch and the commute to and from work robs you of almost half of your day in work related activates. If you are lucky, you get eight hours of sleep which leaves you with roughly six hours to enjoy life, take care of yourself, spend time with your family, develop yourself and experience the world outside of work.
A happy work life contributes to a happy home and family life. If you dread going to work every day and on the weekends all you feel is anxiety about having to go back to work on Monday there is a problem. As work takes up so much of our lives, being dissatisfied with it can negatively impact the level of happiness in our home and with our family.
The late Steve Jobs explained, "The only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet keep looking. Don't settle."
Life is too short to waste it on work that does not bring us joy and satisfaction. Now, before you do anything rash, your number one priority should be to provide the necessities of life for your family. Sometimes you have to sacrifice your happiness to put food on the table.
Here are a few ideas that will help you cope with the challenges of a job you hate.
Establish clear goals for your life
It's not too late to ask yourself, what do I want to be when I grow up? When life gets busy we forget about the most important part of that question ... want. Most of us just take a job that somewhat interests us and allows us to collect a paycheck. If you don't want to be at work there are some improvements that you can make in your life. Start by answering one question: What do I want?
Once you understand exactly what it is that you want, ask yourself: Why do I want it? This is your purpose. The answer to this question will help keep you motivated when times are tough. Once you know what it is that you want and why you want it, set goals to achieve it. Be patient in your current situation and work every day to position yourself in a way that will allow you to get what you want.
Work toward something better
In his classic book, The Greatest Salesman in the World, Og Mandino explains that if you want to multiply your value, you have to multiply your actions. You should never settle into something that does not make you happy. Work toward something better. Destroy procrastination with action. Time is going to fly by no matter what, you might as well be doing something that will bring happiness into your life and in turn the life of you family. Never give up.
Go the extra mile at work
While you are stuck at work, you might as well make the best of it. Ensure that you maintain positive relationships with your co-workers. Impress your supervisors so that you can rely on outstanding recommendations when you part ways. Establish a flawless reputation for yourself. By going the extra mile at work you may even find new opportunities open up to you.
Finding a job that leaves you feeling like you are doing good things with your life will bring a greater measure of peace to your life and your family. If you hate your job, hang in there. Make realistic goals for yourself that will put you in a better situation. Work toward a job that you want and will bring you satisfaction. Remember to go the extra mile as you work toward something better.
