As millennials (I’m not afraid to say that word), you’ll often hear from us that we are aiming to find a career that we are ‘passionate’ about. A career that gives us a sense of purpose, makes us actually want to get out of bed in the morning and one that makes Monday not seem so scary. Our age group is sometimes given a bad wrap. Our day dreaming is frowned upon and our pursuit for happiness is often mocked. We are categorised as the dreamers, the ones who want everything right now and we are often ridiculed as having little work ethic. We are the generation of self-care and embracing the word so many are afraid to say – no. Now I’m not saying that we are the Kings and Queens of all other generations, nor am I saying one group is better than the other. However, I do believe that our notion of finding a career that we are passionate about, is something that a lot of people should consider. This is not a ‘woe is me’ blog post, nor is it a dig at any specific career, industry or other generation. In fact, it’s one to get you thinking and hopefully it might just spark a New Year’s resolution for your 2017. In my short, almost 22 years, I have come across a lot, and I mean a lot of people who simply hate their jobs. They begrudgingly head to work every morning and live for the weekend. When asked how their day is going, I regularly hear the responses, ‘Not too bad for a Monday’ or ‘Fantastic, it’s Friday!’ Quite often I’ll even see several people napping on the train before work in the morning. I meet hundreds of new faces every day, many of whom look less than thrilled as they aimlessly try to get through their days. So why stay in a job that you absolutely hate? Is it actually worth it? Here are three reasons why you should quit.
1. We spend a large part of our lives at work
Just for a minute here, let’s get mathematical. According to Bjarki (2013) [1] , the average Joe works about 40 hours a week. Let’s say they got their first real job at 20 and worked until they are 65. They get two weeks of holidays every year. In that time, average Joe will have worked a total of 90, 360 hours in his life! Do you really want to be spending all of that time doing something you hate? Now I understand that most people get four weeks of holidays these days. However, there are people who are over 65 and working, so factor that into the equation and besides, maths was never my strong point.
2. It can ruin your health
Being healthy doesn’t mean just eating well and exercising daily. There are various other factors that influence your health status, one of which is your emotional wellbeing. Studies show that hating your job can severely harm your health. If you fall into this category, you can possibly look forward to weight gain, a weakened immune system, tense relationships, disturbed sleep and increased risk of serious illness [2]. Sounds like a great prize for those eight hours a day you loathe hey?
3. Change is good
Life is forever changing in both good and bad ways, it’s inevitable. Sometimes it’s in our control, and other times it’s not. I’d like to argue that a change of scenery is in fact a good thing. It leads to new opportunities, keeps life interesting and can lead to progress. You can learn about yourself a little more, meet new people along the way and create new experiences. There will be times when it will be tricky to get out of bed of a morning, no matter how passionate you are about your job. However, if you find something you’re truly interested in, it will make it a whole lot more worthwhile. You’ll most likely need to take stepping stones to get there, but it’s all part of the journey. Life isn’t about counting down the days until the weekend. It isn’t about dreading the Sunday Scaries and the Monday Blues. You can enjoy your job and you can have fulfilment. Be a go-getter and find it! References: Bjarki 2013, ‘7 time consuming things an average Joe spends on in a lifetime’, Tempo Blog, < http://blog.tempo.io/2013/7-time-consuming-things-an-average-joe-spends-in-a-lifetime/ >
