It’s an unfortunate fact that most people would disagree that work should be enjoyable.
We’ve all heard these famous quotes about work:
- Confucius is supposed to have said:
“Find a job you love and you will never work another day in your life” - And JM Barrie (author of the children’s classic “Peter Pan”) is quoted as saying:
“It’s only work if you would rather be doing something else”
Well … that’s rubbish!!
Busting the work myth
What’s wrong with both of those quotes, is that they make work a bad thing, something to be avoided – “never work another day in your life”, and you would “rather be doing something else”.
Most people simply don’t believe work should be enjoyable, that you can have work that is easy for you, that’s fulfilling and that pays well. They think that’s something only a very fortunate few get to have – you know, the rock stars and actors, maybe football players and racing drivers. They’ve been conned into believing that if you’re lucky you get two out of three, but never all three.
So that means that either:
- Hard Work:
It’s hard work, because you’re not very good at it – even though it’s something you enjoy and the money is OK (though Enjoyment-Performance Theory means that’s not very likely to be the case) - Miserable:
It makes you unhappy, because it’s something you don’t really want to be doing – even though it’s not that hard for you, and the pay’s alright. - Poor:
You struggle with money, because the work you are good at and enjoy doesn’t pay very well (or maybe nobody will even pay you for it at all!)
Work should be enjoyable …
But what if we were to define work – or maybe redefine it – as simply:
“The things we do that add value to others”
What if when you think about work, you don’t view it as something you would rather not be doing, but instead as part of your life’s work – the difference you are here to make? The legacy you get to leave behind. Whether that’s in your industry, in your community, in society as a whole, or all across the world.
Maybe then we really could have it all, what do you think?
I’d love to read your views …
