What to do about Jobs that Drain
Photo by Simon Hurry on Unsplash
Recently, I found myself chatting with a friend about the more frustrating parts of our jobs. We both agreed that in any job, there are going to be tasks that we look forward to and tasks that we just need to get through. Those of you that are early on in your career, you may not have yet figured out these things because while some are obvious - you try it once and absolutely detest it - there are other tasks that can at first disguise themselves as enjoyable. Over time, though, when you start to get to know yourself better, this is when you can differentiate between the things that give you life, and the things that drain you.
When we get frustrated in our careers or in our lives, it’s often because we have found ourselves in a situation where a certain task - or maybe it’s a certain manager or colleague - drains the life from us without giving anything back in return. There will always be times when we need to give more than we receive, but we also need to make sure that we are being filled. The best jobs leave you with the scales tipped slightly toward fulfillment, or at the very least maintain a balance. It is these jobs that may have some dull or difficult moments, but they also have tasks, meetings, and days that leave you feeling inspired and excited. I have a client like that right now. It's a lot of work and there are times when I would rather be doing many other things than work on this project, but I just love this client because every time we have a meeting, I leave feeling good about the work I am doing.
That’s what work should be like. It should be life giving. It should be joyful. It should inspire you and remind you what you contribute to the world. If you don’t feel that at least a few times each week, it may be time to consider a shift. When you have a job that drains you, the shift doesn't always need to be a career change, it may just be asking yourself what you can do to create space for the activities that fill you. That may come during the job or it may come after hours. It’s okay to work to live, just make sure your working isn’t draining all your energy so there's nothing left for the living.
Recently I was a guest on a new podcast that will be coming out in a few months. It is called That Glam Life and the premise is that there are many jobs that seem very glamorous on the outside, but when it comes down to it they are never as glamorous as they seem. As we were wrapping up, I was asked if I had any advice for listeners on how to get through the not-so-glamorous parts. This is what I said:
In any job, they’re going to be good moments and bad moments, but you have to learn how to take the good with the bad, and the bad with the good. I love my job, but when I’m traveling and my flight gets delayed or I miss an event that I want to attend like a birthday party or something for a friend or family member, it can be hard. In those moments I repeat this mantra to myself: I chose this. It's my way of reminding myself that when you choose a good thing, you’re also choosing the bad things that may come with it. So as long as you recognize that, and remind yourself you chose this, then you can remind yourself all the good stuff you also get with it. And then, if you ever get to a point where the bad stuff starts to outweigh the good stuff, that’s when you know it’s time to make a change.
