Too much has been said about loving your job. Even I used to fall into this trap. You don’t have to love your job to be good at it – but it helps. I don’t love what I do for a living. Oh wait, you think speaking and writing is what I do? It isn’t. I only spend about 100 hours a year on stage giving speeches. That’s two weeks work if you put it all together – barely enough to count. That stage time is a part the part of my business that I love and it is the payoff for what I really do for a living. I travel for a living. I pack my crap, go the airport, put up with the security stupidity, and the abuse of the don’t-give-a-damn flight attendants, only to get there and wait an hour for my bag that statistics say has probably been pilfered, then get in a cab that smells like crap driven by a guy who can’t speak English and drives out of the way to pad his bill, then check into a hotel where they can’t find my reservation so I can order up some room service that will be late and cold and wrong. Then I go on stage, love my hour I’m up there and start over again. That is the reality of what I do for a living. In my spare time, I write a book or two and shoot a television show. I don’t love what I do most of the time. I put up with it because I love those hundred hours. And I’m not complaining – the hundred hours is worth the trouble or I wouldn’t do it.
The good news is that none of us are paid to love our jobs. You aren’t. You never got a check notated in the notes section, “Because he loves his job.” You got your check because you did your job, not because you loved your job. If you love your job, that is a bonus.
I love Larry Winget’s advice because it hits you right between the eyes! BAM! The distinctions between the parts of your work that you LOVE and the other parts that you put up with to get to the part you LOVE is spot on. I am reminded of a quote I read once, “obstacles are those terrible things that get in your way when you take your eyes off the goal.” Our goal should be to focus on the things we love as we work hard through all those things we must do whether we feel like it or not.
My father used to tell me: ” Son, it’s not important that you love your job, it is important that you provide for your family.” I now understand how right he was with his advise. Larry, thanks for reminding me that even what appears to be the best job in the world is still work.
This past week our new manager screwed up 12 peoples paychecks and everyone was upset.
I spoke up and told the manager that we do not come there on a daily basis because we like each other ,but that we come there for a paycheck and that if he can’t do that one small part of his job then he should resign and go flip burgers.
You’ve definitely given me much to think about. Lately, I’ve been reading much on self-improvement: “Think & Grow Rich” and “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” among others. Each of those books as well as your comments have me thinking.
I’m at a professional crossroads right now. I don’t think that the question should be “Do I love my job?” but rather “Does this job fulfill me?” I feel that by looking at the latter, it focuses on what I feel is one of the most important things about working. At the very least, your job/what you do should fulfill some part of you. If you’re looking to make a ton of money, then great. If you’re looking to change the world, then great. However, if you don’t get what you’re looking for, then that more than loving your job will determine your mindset.
This was very helpful. I think that a job is a way for you to be able to do the things that you want to do in life like retire well, support your hobbies, etc. Too many people live through their jobs and make them their identity. I don’t expect any job to fulfill me, that’s why people have hobbies.
I would like to see the inscription “to be continied”:-D