What to Do When You Hate Your Job  

By Marta Z. Kagan  

"I hate my job. It’s boring, frustrating, unfulfilling. I would LOVE to find a career that has passion and meaning; one that makes me want to jump out of bed in the morning. But… I don’t have a clue where to begin. I’m not sure what I want to be doing; I just know that I haven’t found it yet.”  

Sound familiar?  

Most people know, quite acutely, when they’re unhappy, unfulfilled, frustrated or bored at work. But the question of where to turn to discover joy and fulfillment in their professional lives is a great big overwhelming mystery. And it’s that sense of being overwhelmed – of having no direction, no roadmap – that keeps them stuck.  

But the truth is, it’s not really indecision that’s stopping you. It’s FEAR. Fear that you’ll pick the “wrong” path; that you’ll make a mistake; that you’ll look foolish; that you’ll exert yourself only to end up equally miserable in your new job. Or worse yet, that you’ll fail.  

So what’s the solution to this very real problem? How do you overcome your fear and start making strides toward a career filled with passion and purpose? Simple. TAKE ACTION. Action is absolutely essential to discovering passion, purpose and success in life. You will find direction, connect with passion, discover purpose when AND ONLY WHEN you begin DOING -- because even action in the wrong direction is informative. Waiting around for “the answer” to your career dilemma is futile. It’s not going to simply fall in your lap. Happiness isn’t going to show up on your doorstep. The only thing that will change if you continue to show up at your mind-numbing job day after day is your age. You’ll get older, more rooted, and ever more afraid to jump ship.  

Mark Twain once said, “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Explore. Dream. Discover.”  

If you haven’t done anything about your miserable job yet, I have good news for you. Today is the day you’re going to start. In the next few minutes, I’ll guide you through an exercise that will help you throw off those bowlines and start marching toward passion and purpose in your career.  

Step 1. Get out a sheet of paper and write down as much as you can about what you believe defines “meaningful work”. This will serve as a starting point – your guide to defining (and TAKING ACTION toward) the Dream Job you are yet to discover. You might find it helpful to list some examples of people who you feel embody your definition of meaningful work. There is no “right answer” here, so just write down whatever comes to mind. Consider what really matters to you; what you love.  

After you’ve completed this exercise, review what you’ve written. Recognize your unique slant on the idea of “meaningful work”.  

Step 2. On another sheet of paper, spend 10 – 15 minutes creating the world’s most perfect job. Create your own hours, activities, environment, etc. This is fantasy time, so include whatever outrageous perks you’d like, just remember to include what you’re doing on a daily basis, where you’re doing it and whom you’re doing it with. After you’ve finished this exercise, reread what you’ve written. Does it sound amazing? Are you excited, inspired, smiling from ear-to-ear? Good. Now move on to Step 3.  

Step 3. TAKE ACTION. At the risk of sounding completely insane, I am going to insist that you spend the next hour totally committed to the career destination you described in Step 2. Whether that means placing a call to someone in the industry, responding to an ad in the paper, signing up for a class or conference, exploring real estate options on an exotic island or WHATEVER fits the dream job you defined above – JUST DO IT! Set your alarm clock and spend the next hour TOTALLY COMMITTED. Pretend that you’ve made your career decision and there’s no turning back. No ‘what-ifs’, no doubts, just ACTION. You’ve chosen and now there’s no turning back.  

At the end of the hour, spend a few minutes reflecting on how you felt before, during and after the exercise. Notice how freeing the experience of ACTING, even in the face of incredible obstacles, truly feels. Notice the resistance that came up along the way. What did the little voice inside try to tell you to stop you from committing to this hour of action? Did you give in to the voice and skip this exercise or tell yourself you’re too busy to do it right now? Did you come up with a REALLY good excuse?  

Your resistance is the gatekeeper – it IS the fear that leaves you wallowing in misery and indecision. It creates the blind spot that stops you from seeing what it is you truly want. It will hold you back from the satisfaction you crave and the joy you deserve – but only for as long as you let it. Confront it. Listen to it. It contains important information about what is REALLY stopping you. Start marching toward a goal that excites you (no matter how impossible it seems right now) and your resistance will leap out of hiding.  

And once you know what you’re up against, you can design a strategy to beat it. You can begin to finally live your life ON PURPOSE.   

(c) 2003 Marta Z. Kagan  

ABOUT THE AUTHOR   

Career transition specialist Marta Kagan has helped countless professionals achieve more success, freedom, and balance in their work lives. To find out more about Marta's innovative career coaching services and sign up for FREE confidence-building tips like these, visit her website today.