How positive do you feel about your job and your work?
Super positive … just great?
So, so … not bad?
Negative… horrible?
It doesn’t take anyone long to react to that question. We know whether or not we are happy with our jobs just because we can’t escape those feelings anytime that we are at work. And if we’re not positively feeling up about going to work most days, then we’re not satisfied with our jobs.
You might want to say, “Yes, but it’s so much easier for some people to be confident about their work than it is for others. If only I could look forward to going to one of those dream jobs every day, I wouldn’t have any difficulty with my attitude either.” But is that so? Let’s look at the so-called dream job a little more carefully.
Dream Jobs
Look at people with glamorous jobs– hockey players, dancers, rock stars and models. These people seem to have dream jobs– money, fame, excitement! But look again. Maybe it’s a case of the grass looking greener on the other side of the fence. Most jobs have specific duties that are boring, repetitious or just plain hard work. Dream jobs may have exhausting travel and work schedules, hours of exercise and practice, and an image of constant expectations. That can be a drag! People with glamorous jobs got where they are through years of concentrated effort and sacrifice. They’ll stay on top only if they continue to work at it each day in a positive way.
Every job has its ups and downs. Having a fun job doesn’t mean experiencing boredom, anxiety, frustration and disappointment. Most people find some aspect of their employment unpleasant, whether it’s dealing with angry customers or clients, doing mounds of paperwork, cutting through bureaucratic red tape or working in the cold. There will always be days when we feel exasperated because we can’t change a situation or solve a problem.
But some people seem to enjoy their work most of the time. We assume it must be the nature of their work– they must have dream jobs. But, maybe not! The fact is, dream jobs are a myth– they don’t exist. There are no perfect jobs that look like an ideal job to one, maybe a dreaded task to another. However, some people will feel as if they have their dream jobs or have had one because they have found quite a good fit between themselves and their careers and have a positive attitude about their work.
What we expect and what we get from our lives dramatically affects our attitudes. Unmet dreams, needs and values lead to negativeness; needs met can lead to positiveness. No one job will fulfill all of our needs. What our jobs don’t provide, we have to find elsewhere.
Knowing what we can realistically expect from our jobs can help us develop positive attitudes toward our work. It can help us avoid disappointment and disillusionment later on.
© Wordscapes® (David Turner). All Rights Reserved.
