Why You Need to Come to Terms With Your Job

This article is a chapter from one of my upcoming books. If you’re interested in paying what you want (from just $1) for the series of books I will be publishing in the coming months, join the Leaving Work Behind Book Club!

You almost certainly cannot quit your job tomorrow without some repercussions. You’re probably not there yet. And that is why you need to come to terms with your job before you do anything else.

The first step is to understand that your job is temporary. It is a means to an end. You may currently need the benefits that your employment contract offers – medical insurance, paid maternity leave, a pension – but those needs will not be permanent. A job is a safety net that allows you to get in a position where it is no longer needed. If you cannot bring yourself to like it, appreciate it for that fact.

Even if you absolutely hate your job, considering it as a placeholder position rather than a terminal illness can make all the difference to your attitude.

Believe it or not, your job gives you freedom. It enables you to work on your fledgling online business without fear of failure, because failure will not mean that the bills will go unpaid. It enables you to create a vicarious business, free of the concerns that cloud many entrepreneurs’ minds. Remember that whenever you feel negatively about your work.

One of your immediate goals will be to quit your job, but that is only one piece of a much larger puzzle. If you do not conduct yourself appropriately you may find the perceived nightmare that is your job hides much bigger monsters when you finally quit.

Leaving work behind isn’t just about quitting your job – it’s about building a life that allows you the freedom you desire. If by quitting your job you are jumping from the frying pan into the fire, you have not really taken a step closer to your goals. You may have taken a step away.

Ultimately, your job is a factor that must be taken into consideration. You may be indifferent towards it, you may dislike it, or you may even hate it. But it is a part of your life – not forever, but for the time being. It provides you with a relative level of security and enables you to work on your fledgling business without fear of the possible repercussions.

Learn to appreciate your job for the above reasons and you will benefit from a more productive outlook.

Photo Credit: Steven Depolo