#24 - Don't hate what you do

There’s a verbal dance we all do when meeting someone new. The steps can vary, but the motion is the same. At some point in this dance we’ll ask the question “what do you do?”

I can remember reading weak arguments long ago about how you shouldn’t ask a question like that. That to do so might cause offense. This is kind of a silly point to make in that nobody would knowingly ask such a question to cause offense. In fact, it’s a very safe question when you think about it, and the person who would take offense likely is looking for an excuse to be upset. I can understand that not everyone is doing “what they want” quite yet, but when meeting someone for the first time there’s no shame in pivoting a conversation to what you wish to discuss.

Inevitably (and I’m guilty of this as well) in response to this question, I notice that people will give a couple sentences describing their duties, and follow up their description with some variation of “you know, boring stuff.”

What you do for employment doesn’t define all that you are as a person, but it certainly is something you spend a lot of time doing. As such, it does define some of what you are. Once upon a time, the options in front of you were very limited - there weren’t really options for most people to do what they wanted. In the internet age however, especially in a country like the United States of America - I believe you are largely limited by your own ambition, and the people whose opinions you trust.

No matter how boring you think your job is, it matters. How can I possibly know such a thing? It’s simple, if it didn’t matter nobody would pay you for it. It could be where you are right now means you don’t see the bigger picture, but in any business there certainly is one. Some corporations will try to articulate this in a mission statement or something like that, but often times that rings like a damp cloth over a liberty bell.

What you do for a living also matters to your family. Your parents want you to find success, your spouse may rely on your income, and any children you have certainly do! Your purpose doesn’t always have to come from the work per se, but what working affords you.

When you dismiss what you do as boring, you are denying yourself joy. I’m not quite sure where this sentiment comes from or how it’s taught, but I think it should stop.

If you’re not where you want to be? That’s a part of your narrative, you can still take in your job. If you can’t? you’re probably working the wrong kind of job.

Let me be clear, there’s nothing easy about taking ownership over what you do and working towards being your best self.

Is it worth it?

The struggle is, but I’ll have to let you know the rest when I reach the top.