23 Mar 2017

‘Find a job you love and you’ll never work a day in your life’

I don’t doubt for a second that you’ve heard this saying before. Maybe from your parents or teachers who are selling you the idea that loving your work is of major importance in your life. Steve Jobs makes a pretty big deal of it in his Stanford Commencement Address and it seems to be a common theme in graduation speeches. These people have good intentions- they don’t want you to be forced into a life that you don’t enjoy, a career that doesn’t fulfil you or a job that you get nothing out of.

But I’m calling bullshit.

The idea that you need to love your job is an overused cliché that gives false hope to generations of kids who find themselves facing disappointment when they realise they’re working a job they don’t love. That, despite everything they’ve been told, they’ve found themselves entering full-time work and not enjoying every minute of it. Sometimes even hating it.

I’m not saying it’s impossible to love your job at times, or that everyone in the world hates their job. I am just saying that judging your job on the merit of how much you love it will leave many – most even – disappointed.

Because – shock horror – jobs are generally pretty shit, regardless of what you do. Realistically, no one really loves to work, which makes complete sense. Why would we love spending hours of our day with our nose to the grind, slaving away because we need a payslip at the end of it?

The pressure of needing to do something, whether it be to pay your rent or fund your travel plans, can kinda take the joy out of doing it, even if it’s normally something you love. And for most people, the responsibilities of rent and insurance and car payments mean that they work to put food on the table or a roof over their heads- not because they love it.

And here’s another shocker, even the people who have landed their ‘dream job’ have shit they hate about it. My friend loves being a nurse. She loves caring for people, helping and making connections with her patients. But you know what she doesn’t love? Wiping wrinkled asses, understaffed and over-crowded wards and watching people die. But it’s all part of the job description.

So, why do we feel so entitled to a job that’s driven by passion?

What’s so bad about working an average job, with people you don’t hate, getting paid, and putting your energy into a side hustle you love?

Your job can be boring, it can be unfulfilling and it can be using less than 10% of your total brain function. You might think you’re overqualified, or deserve something better. But when you get down to the nitty-gritty, all you really need to get out of your job is that little bit of money and the feeling that you’re getting shit done. Sure, if your job is making you miserable and you absolutely hate it, by all means, go ahead and find something else. But don’t expect to love every second of it.

At the end of the day, what you get out of your job and what you get out of the things you love are completely different. Your job is mostly for your payslip and, to an extent, your contribution to society, and that’s what funds the rest of your life. That’s what lets your pour your energy and passion into something you love.

I’m all for loving something; for your mental wellbeing, you need to love something. To escape the monotony of your job, to give yourself purpose and create meaning you must love something. It can be your dog, your boyfriend/girlfriend, your family, your netball team or your scrapbooking hobby. Maybe you love gardening, or writing, or Harry Potter. Love yourself. Whatever it is, it’s important to have something to push your energy towards, something to be passionate about and pour your love into.

But it doesn’t have to be your job.