What’s the best way to stay productive even when facing a job you hate?
As we discussed yesterday, maintaining an decent attitude and an acceptable level of performance despite a miserable job is as difficult as it is important–very. You’ll need your own answer to the above question if you are going to prevail because it certainly won’t happen by itself. Got an answer?
Well, if that answer involves the song “Eye of the Tiger,” that’s awesome. Awesome, but wrong.
The real way to improve your motivation has almost nothing to do with psyching yourself up and everything to do with taking action. Read on if you want to defeat Apollo Creed get some good pointers.
Stress Level
In my opinion, this is the simplest, most potent step you can take to keep pressing forward despite your job. Control your stress level. It will take some effort, but this is a no-brainer for anyone willing to put in a little effort to improve the situation (that’s you, by the way). As I’ve written before, a high stress level can turn even a great job into drudgery. Your job is hard enough as it is because of other factors–a high stress level will take that bad situation and make it nearly intolerable.
How do you lower your stress level? Well, there are any number of techniques for reducing stress. I’ll just offer you these because I think they are some of the easiest and most effective ways to do it.
Exercise. This is cliche for a reason. It really really really works. Please try to exercise at least a few times a week for a half-hour at a time. Physiologically, you are wired to need activity to avoid being flat and stressed. Don’t fight that–you won’t win.
Keep your priorities straight. Your job angst is not worth sacrificing that which you value most. Spend some time with a friend each day outside of work. If you are married, be intimate with your spouse. If you are religious, be faithful to what you ought to be doing in that part of your life. Oh yeah, and while TV is a great comfort, getting enough sleep and focusing on higher-value activities will be more restful and satisfying.
Not only are these activities good stress reducers in and of themselves, but you’ll feel better about yourself for maintaining what you truly value as important and your job troubles will seem to shrink somewhat, even if only a little bit.
Slow and Steady. It’ll take a little self-discipline, but putting in a constant, steady effort at your job is much better for your stress level and motivation than the procrastination and haste routine we tend to employ when we don’t want to do something. Working frantically may lessen the short-term pain (think ripping off a band-aid), but it is adrenaline that dulls that pain. Unless you are fighting or running, that adrenaline is going to convert directly to a feeling of stress and burn-out when the high fades out.
Eyes on the Prize
We work better when we know we’re headed somewhere. It is really important that you begin putting part of your day into discovering how to get a better job and leave this one behind once and for all. Commit to an hour a day of reading, searching, thinking, discussing, and taking action towards making a move. You’ll see a light at the end of the tunnel, and you’ll be excited about the potential new opportunities you come across. Improving your career outlook makes it much easier to press through the job you hate. You can do anything for a short amount of time, right?
Exploring your options is also a good boost for your self-esteem. It will help you to remember that you are a valuable candidate, even if your company has forgotten that fact. Just be careful about looking for a job while you are at your job. I don’t need to explain why. That’s your call as to whether or not you can pull that one off.
Hold Yourself Accountable
Alright, so maybe a little psyching yourself up is okay. Put a reminder somewhere as to all of the reasons why you want to stay motivated (avoiding termination, maintaining relationships, personal conviction, keeping options open, etc.). Use those reminders to get you to adhere to the advice on this page. Pep talks are good for short-term action but not for long-term change. If you use the reminders to get you to take other actions to help your motivation, you’ll be setting yourself up for a more sustained boost in performance.
Oh yeah, block all of the websites you waste time on during the day if you need to (except for this one, of course). You need to take breaks and you need to stay sane, but make sure you keep that slow and steady pace. If something’s causing you to procrastinate too much, get rid of it!
Recruit an Accountability Team
Get a group of people on your team about your motivation goal. Your friends and family want you to stay motivated and they want to help you find a better job. Take them up on that generosity. Recruit people to ask you about what you’ve done with your time that day. Show them this page and talk about it with them. When they ask you questions, be really honest about it. If you truly value staying motivated, this is a good way to stay true to that goal. Probably don’t include your boss on that email list, though.
Visualize a Job Well Done
You can do this. By staying productive until the bitter end, you’ll feel better about yourself, and you’ll have done right by your employer. You will leave the office with your respect intact and with your bridges unburned. You’ll leave on your terms, and you’ll be confident in your value as an employee as you begin your next job.
There are tons and tons of other good ideas as to how to stay motivated out there on the web, but I don’t want you to be overwhelmed with having a ton to keep track of. If you just focus on this short list and put it into practice, you should see some huge changes in your ability to get your work done.
For a different approach with some really good ideas and thoughts, check out Cathy Godwin’s article, “Ten Things to Do If You Really, Really Hate Your Job.”
As always, I’d love to get your additions to this article. What do you think? What advice would you give, and what has worked for you?
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15 responses so far ↓
1 Melissa // Jul 17, 2007 at 10:27 am
I always try to think of what I am learning from a situation. I know it sounds cliche, but I try to evaluate what I am gaining even from unpleasant circumstances. Building character and all that.
I guess I was listening to my mother, after all.
2 Eric B // Jul 17, 2007 at 11:39 am
This was a great 2 part article. There is a lot of good information in here to digest.
Working and job searching is a thinking game that has to be played in that way. No job is permanent, as I have recently seen with my organization, so even though I am happily employed I keep my eyes open and meet as many people as possible.
Everybody knows somebody and I have seen people “work their network” to help someone they like when they are in need (of a job.)
3 Alan // Jul 17, 2007 at 4:00 pm
It’s hard for me to get excited about mundane tasks, Maybe I’m a product of the ” I want it now generation”, but I want what I’m doing to be stimulating; intellectually sexy if you will. I need and want to believe that what I’m doing is going to challenge me and make me a better person. If I find that I don’t believe that about my job, I notice that I begin to “Log-Off” mentally.
Fortunately most of the times that I have found myself in that kind of rut, I have had people give me a random compliment, or word of encouragement, or even one time a plea for me to not check out, because they needed me. And I notice myself beginning to come back to life. I don’t know if there is a difference from checking out mentally, and losing Heart, but I think there might be… Thats why I like working on a team. It has always seemed that when I feel the lowest, there are great people there to pick me up!
Glad I’m not stuck on this little clod of dirt by myself
Selah
4 Jonathon // Jul 17, 2007 at 5:26 pm
This article is fantastic. I like my job, but there is still so much great advice here even for people in situations similar to mine. Stress can get to anyone, and thanks to you I now have a few new ways to fight it.
5 Darin // Jul 17, 2007 at 5:52 pm
I really liked your, “Hold yourself accountable” section. I actualy just today printed out a picture of anew Nissan Titan that I want to buy soon. I think looking at it will boost my performance and give me a good goal to shoot for. I have enjoyed this site since it was created. Very informative and has great suggestions. As much as I like the comments and Ideas, I would like to see more funny stories like the GOTFAT manuever.
6 Michael // Jul 18, 2007 at 10:15 am
I think the “Keeping Your Priorities Straight” is extremely important. I hated my first job and I let it affect the rest of my life way too much. I would come home and sit and think about how much that day sucked and dread going to work the next day. My quality of life is much better now that I am in a job I like, but I wish I had realized before that I needed to spend more time with friends and family and just enjoy life outside of work.
7 Dawn // Jul 18, 2007 at 11:22 am
The most important thing is to get yourself out of career stagnation. It does help to try focusing on the areas that come easily to you first. When you feel your energy and motivation level rising and your stress levels decreasing, then look to tackling something that is outside of your comfort zone to give you a stretch if you start to feel bored.
You may find that being a master in an area that flows naturally for you will bring opportunities your way which you never thought possible. Try to set yourself up for career success and be gentle with your overall career progress.
8 Rene // Jul 18, 2007 at 11:29 am
Staying motivated at work is such an interesting topic and an equally interesting ingredient in professional success; regardless of whether someone is selling cars or planning building designs, the motivation factor is what makes things happen. What creates motivational energy in individuals is as complex as the people themselves; some people have a strong will to succeed, some people seek guidance from others, and still others get motivated simply by the fact that they will be paid for their efforts.
9 Jonas // Jul 18, 2007 at 3:34 pm
I think this is a great list of ways to reduce stress. My wife and I are definitely advocates of not only exercise but overall health as well. If you feel good you will have less stress and work better on your job. If you never exercise, always eat fast food (ever seen “Supersize Me”?), and sit at work you’re going to feel bad. Eating well (not perfect because who really does that?) and getting some type of exercise weather it’s running, walking the dog, or doing yard work will make you feel so much better- at least that’s something that works in our house!
10 Chris // Jul 18, 2007 at 10:48 pm
The way I stay motivated in my job is to just keep telling myself I won’t have to deal with it much longer. When I find out my coworkers have talked about me again behind my back, or my coworkers talk down to me, or throw me under the buss for something that isn’t my fault–I remind myself of all the hard work I’m doing to get out of my current position and into something that will make me happy. I find this difficult, and after reading the article that was linked to the last entry by Judi Perkins–I definitely see how my performance has declined as I hate my job more and more….the “I don’t care” attitude is definitely there some days and it’s all I can do to fight it as I do want to leave my position on my terms.
11 TimX // Aug 24, 2007 at 7:38 pm
I empathyze with all here. I have been in a few short term job, yet continued to get more money and seemingly a better job. But, I usually burned the bridges while leaving - not intentionally..but seems like they weren’t happy I left. Long and short of it - getting up and leaving my job when first sign of trouble begins (which is usually conjured up in my own head) - is now caught up with me. I now have the meanest and most controlling boss - and is remote….my 3rd day there - she said, “You’ve blown me away with your comments” and “I have got bigger priorities than bringing you on board”….nice. I’ve been there 18 months, but the combination of her control and the people I support and their perspective of Corporate functions…..been a bit stressful. Throw in my job hopping and - I’m stuck in a crappy job and feel horrible. I have been very lackluster in my job because I have to clear things with my boss first to see if okay I’m working on things and becuase deep down in my heart … I don’t want to be there - sometimes I think getting fired would not be too bad. I come back to reality and then remember - yes, that’d be bad as the mortgage man cometh and 3 kids at catholic school.
So…great advice and truly need to reflect on doing well and sticking it out.
12 Welcome lifehack.org Readers! // Aug 30, 2007 at 9:58 pm
[…] How To Stay Motivated in a Job You Hate: Part 2, The Solution […]
13 Jeremy // Sep 14, 2007 at 3:47 pm
I really appreciate the email you sent directing me to these articles. While I still hate my job, some of these tips seem like they will work and make it possible to continue that slow, steady pace I need to stay away from the “terminator”.
Another question, totally unrelated to changing careers, but I have always had a passion for writing, and consider this a career path I would like to explore. Any suggestions?
14 Chuck Westbrook // Sep 14, 2007 at 4:02 pm
@Jeremy– You and me both. I started this blog as the first step to getting into writing for a legitimate audience. That’s got to be the easiest place to begin (but it’s not easy).Ever thought about a blog on gardening or horticulture? I’m sure there are some out there along those lines, but if you’re a great writer and can find an angle, it could be a neat move.Also, copywriting (writing to sell/market) is something people do for freelance all the time. I’m not sure what you mean by a writing career path, but that’s probably the most common/steady way to earn money from writing. Try copyblogger.com for a look into that world.
15 NotHappy@Work // Sep 8, 2008 at 3:58 am
I really enjoyed reading this article as I’ve really struggled in recent weeks to stay motivated at my current job, for a number of reasons, perhaps the biggest one being that I know my current profession is not what I truly want to do, therefore being at my current job does not get me to where I want to be.
Reading this site made me come up with a good idea of how “to deal”. I needed to do something, because it’s Sunday night and the act of going to work in the morning is making me cringe. I opened up a blank document, and wrote down all the reasons I love my job. It was hard at first… but after a while, I was actually surprised I found 15 reasons.
All the reasons I hate my job still exist and my days at X Inc are numbered. But I need something to do to get out of the pain NOW.
I disagree that you should show this site or share your list with anyone at work. This website suggests you hate your job… if your boss or co-workers know this, it could hurt you professionally. (If you are friends with someone at work on a personal level, you could share this with them privately, but not just regular co-workers). Plus, once other people at work know you hate your job, it will be much harder to keep up a positive attitude.
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