Do you hate your job? A lot of people do. So, what can you do about it? Here I’ll present a two-step approach to shedding some light on resolving this important problem.
According to research published on Forbes Magazine, an astounding 70% of people hate their jobs. That’s nuts. There’s something seriously wrong with this picture and it has a to do with how we relate to our work, not the work itself. Like I say, it’s the how, not the what, that really matters in almost every situation.
First Step: Adjust Your Mindset
How to adjust your mindset in relation to your work? Two key words to keep in mind: meaning and impact.
First, try to find meaning in your work. What about your work allows you to express your nature, or to use the language of yoga and the 3T Path, your dharma? How is your work helping you be your true self? What natural inclinations and inner motivations are you realizing through your work? Try to see in what way your work is connected to who you are and how doing your work allows you to express a part, hopefully a significant part, of your nature. In the book The 3T Path – Self-improvement and Self-realization in Yoga, available here: https://3tpath.com/books/, you’ll find a whole section on understanding your purpose and your dharma which is sure to help you in this regard.
Another way to look at this is to analyze what positive impact your work has in the world. The more specific you can be, the better. Research shows that when you focus on the individual persons you’re helping, to the point of seeing their faces, that’s the most effective way to find meaning in your work.
Maybe you sell sofas. It’s great coming home from work and relaxing on a sofa. People need sofas. Instead of focusing on the status and financial benefits of selling sofas, focus on the pleasure and satisfaction people will have in coming home to a sofa you’ve sold.
Maybe you’re a street sweeper. We definitely need clean streets. Keeping streets clean has a huge impact on the well-being of every citizen. A street sweeper has an important job with significant positive impact on the lives of thousands and thousands of people.
Even if you work in a big company, and you’re feeling like you’re just a little cog in a big machine, you can still see the value of your work. Machines fall apart if its parts don’t work. A clock won’t work without all its cogs in place. Find the value of your action in the overall effect the company has on other people, and find the value your work directly has on well-being of your colleagues, in helping them do their work.
Lastly, you may be holding a job just to pay your bills while you finish college or wait for your big break in the music and film industry. In this case, focus on the importance of that job in giving you this opportunity to reach the expression of your deeper nature, your true vocation. Be grateful and value that job for being a bridge or a facilitator of your true nature.
Second Step: Rethink Your Life
If you’ve seriously considered all the above and still cannot find meaning or satisfaction in your work, then it’s time for a serious rethink of your life. What the heck happened? How did things go so wrong that you ended up in this situation? Because it’s crazy to spend the largest part of your day in something that does not express your essence and in which you cannot find any meaning. Why are you busy doing something that is not having a positive impact on others?
Living like this will suck the energy and joy from your life. It’s an offense to yourself. You have to come up with an exit plan. Maybe you have to go back to college, maybe you have to downsize seriously or move to another city or country. It’s going to take courage and it’s going to hurt, but it’ll be well worth it. It’s like pulling a decayed tooth out. It hurts, but there is no question of leaving it in.
Watch my video on this topic here.
Yours,
Giridhari Das
Look what they’re saying about The 3T Path book: “The 3T Path is a must read. Just by reading it, your life will become better and happier!” – David Roberts (Mahavira Das), Senior Vice President – Bixolon/Samsung