We’ve all heard the old saying – get paid to do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life. But how many of us actually love our jobs? Or are we tolerating the work, the atmosphere and the people we are forced to interact with daily in order to take home that all important pay check?
If you love your job, that’s great. But what if you tolerate your work life – do you start looking for that all-encompassing miracle job that will make you want to jump out of bed early every day and never take another day off, or do you try and find that balance where you can tolerate your job for the benefits? If you feel like your job isn’t your reason for living and need to find a way to balance things out, today’s blog is for you.
Firstly, it’s important to say that you shouldn’t stay in a job that causes you harm. If you are overly stressed, you should think very carefully about what you want and what you need. Stress can be very damaging to your health, and if you are feeling stressed or depressed, you need to seek professional support.
But what if you’re not stressed out by work. You plod on everyday – go into work, do your job and come home. You’re not setting the world on fire, but hey, so what? Should you be looking for your next challenge, the next promotion or the next opportunity to climb the ladder?
Not everyone wants their career to define their life, and that’s fine. Some people are just happy to keep going. For them, work isn’t everything – it’s a means to an end. But you’ve been looking online and almost everything you read says to get out of that job, push yourself into your next big challenge or says that you’re not working hard enough which is why you aren’t in love with what you do. But none of those things apply – you’re performing well at work, there’s no issues with attendance or getting those bonuses. So how can you keep going if you don’t feel that love for what you do?
Is there anything wrong with not being in love with your job? If you ask your friends and family if they have a passion for the work they do – what do you think they would say? Most of your friends probably have ‘okay’ jobs – not high flying lawyers or professors, just people earning a wage for a day’s work. So, if you are happy to plod on and earn your money, what’s the best way to keep that balance?
Remind yourself why you go to work. If you’re not in love with work, it’s important to remind yourself why you bother. For most people, there’s no other option, but your remuneration package is important here. What do your wages and days off mean to you? Are you saving for your first house, first baby or a holiday? Whatever it is outside of work that floats your boat, going to work and earning that money allows you to do those things. Focusing on those benefits will help get you through the day.
Have something to look forward to. Not just your holidays or life events, but what about at the end of the day or the end of the week? Do you play a sport at the weekend, have gym classes that you love or just meet your mates for a few drinks on a Friday? Whatever your week throws at you, you have something to look forward to at the end of it.
Do something useful with your weekends. There’s nothing worse than spending all week at work then doing nothing all weekend. Come Sunday night, you feel you’ve wasted your days off and it’s back to work. That will ensure you end up hating your work life. Find that balance so on your days off you can do something you want to do so you’re not just working all the time.
Find a way to deal with those little annoyances at work. Whether that’s Sandra and her smoked mackerel for lunch or the boss trying to implement new procedures without proper preparation, finding a way to deal with these inconveniences will go a long way to helping you keep stable. Remembering that you don’t need to see these people outside of work if you don’t want to is a big help too. Also, we all know that one person who loves the drama, so not reacting means they don’t get to react. Take solace in your easy going attitude and relax.
Not loving your job doesn’t mean you’re a failure. It just means you have other things going on in life that are more important. Whether that’s family, hobbies or even your pets, find your reasons for going to that job every day and take the pressure off yourself. There’s nothing wrong with going to work to keep a roof over your head and put food on the table for your kids. So don’t beat yourself up about it!
So, what’s this got to do with The Wage Shop?
Our great advice is just part of your simple, flexible service. With The Wage Shop, we make sure you’re paid on time and take care of your Tax and National Insurance contributions, leaving you to focus on your day to day workload.
Take a look at the website to see what a great service we can offer, or Contact Us for more information.