6 Ways To Learn How To Appreciate That 'Dead-End Job' You Hate
Complain all you want, but you get more out of your job than you may realize.
Mason Wilkes on Unsplash You wake up at 5 A.M. You get dressed, maybe eat breakfast, do a couple other things and then you’re on your way to that dead-end job you loathe. Your day ends at 5 P.M. or later and you come back exhausted. After a few hours of relaxation, it’s off to bed to do it all over again tomorrow.
Jobs like the one described above can feel like they’re sucking the life out of you. You find yourself wondering if this is really all life has to offer.
Work, work and more work. While there are some people that may find that sort of lifestyle rewarding, you aren’t one of them. You wish that you were doing literally anything else.
You may have gotten a job like that as a temporary solution, just so you had a source of income. Or maybe you got it because you thought it would lead to more, but it’s been more than five years and you’re still at the bottom. No matter the reason, it’s become clear that this job is causing nothing but misery, but with no other prospects or options, you remain trapped in your depressing daily routine.
If this sounds like your life, sorry about that. I can’t really do much to help you out, but there is a way to change how you see things. Just like the old saying of people either seeing the glass half-full or half-empty, this is a similar situation.
You can choose to continue seeing your job as something dreadful, or you can try to make something of it.
Rarely are we rewarded for no effort. Things and experiences worth having take work and only by changing your mentality will you be able to begin moving forward. So, here are six ways that you can begin to appreciate that dead end job and maybe even take a step forward or two.
1. Appreciate that you have a job.
I’m going to call you out for a second and make feel guilty, so bear with me. The truth is there are millions of people out there who don’t have any source of income and their lives are awful. They’d give anything to have the job you do just so they could be a little better off than they are now.
So be grateful that you’ve been fortunate. Okay, guilt trip over.
2. Look on the bright side.
It sounds naïve, but simply making the effort to look at your situation in a more positive light can make the difference. Instead of hating waking up so early, find a way to enjoy the sunrise. When lifting heavy boxes and moving them, trying making it into a competition with yourself and others for how much each of you can do each day. Try to put a positive spin on as much as you can.
3. This is an opportunity to make new friends.
Maybe it’s a bit cheesy, but a new place means new people and opportunities. You definitely won’t like every single person you work with, but there’s bound to be at least one or two that you do like. These are people that, if you didn’t work where you did, you would’ve never met them. So be happy that you got the chance to meet your drinking buddy or gossip girl.
4. You’ll get some good stories out of it, anyway.
Like I said, you’ll meet all sorts of new people. With that comes general conversation at the workplace and you’ll hear all kinds of things. You’ll probably hear some crazy stories or even experience some yourself. You can tell your non-work friends all about them too. And even if you don’t enjoy what’s happening now, one day you’ll look back and laugh at the ridiculousness you went through and heard.
5. Use your job as a stepping stone.
Maybe this was your original plan and it just didn’t come together. But nothing worth having comes easy. You might’ve just been too afraid to pull the trigger, fearing not having a stable plan. Or it could be that you lack motivation or ambition. Regardless, you’re still in perfect position to use this job as a stepping stone to future endeavors. It’s time to take advantage.
6. Use the skills you learn to get yourself where you want to be.
Whether you realize it or not, that dead end job is teaching you things you would’ve never learned on your own. It may be learning how to use a certain piece of equipment or how to put something together. Whatever it is, these are skills that you can use in the future. Apply them toward making your dreams come true.
Jesse Oakley is a writer who writes about love, relationships, self-care and spirituality/astrology.