Here’s How You Can Be A Part of The 15% of People Who Love Their Job
It’s not as hopeless as it sounds.
“That’s just not how life goes.”
That’s what my grandma uttered to me as I told her my Medium earnings. You know how families can be. Everyone always told me that writing was an aimless job. There’s no way I can make a decent income with it.
They’ve been telling me to get a “real” job for years.
I refused and kept trying my luck on Medium. After I wrote my ass off every day for almost a year, my earnings exploded. They couldn’t believe that I actually made more than one dollar from the platform.
When I saw their heads spin in awe, I told them one thing.
“I refuse to work at a job I hate.”
A recent Gallup poll that collects data around the world shows that only 15% of the world’s population loves their job. I’m not surprised.
While I’m not all the way there yet with my writing, I can say proudly that I’m a part of that 15%. I don’t want you to be miserable, so here’s how you can get there too.
I’ve seen too much misery in my family about jobs that I couldn’t bear to be a part of it.
Here are some examples:
- My mom’s had a ton of jobs. I was there when she quit most of them. Most of the time, she either did work she hated, or the manager was an asshole. I saw her crying because of the manager once.
- My sister works two jobs now, and she’s barely getting by with rent. She almost got COVID from working at her nursing home job.
- My uncle gets stomach problems from his job. The managers are too hard on him and he’s been working there for ten plus years.
I get it.
People have families to feed and your dream job is often not a choice.
My biggest problem is that people stick with these jobs and pray for change when none will come. You do not know how many times my uncle told me to pray for him and his job. I’ve prayed so many times that it’s sad.
When are things going to change?
Seeing my family go through that pain gave me a burning disdain for jobs I hate. I worked at a crappy movie theater once for job experience and quit as soon as I could.
How you can be a part of the 15%.
Beyonce once did a commencement speech for the class of 2020 when COVID hit.
She described the uphill battle she went through at the beginning of her music career. When she was in Destiny’s Child, no stylist wanted to dress her and her group because they were Black girls and people thought they wouldn’t make it. Her mom, Tina, had to sew their outfits.
Even in her solo career, she still had plenty of doubters who didn’t believe she’d be successful. Now she owns her own music label, has her clothing line, and she’s damn near a billionaire. Not to mention she’s one of the greatest entertainers of all time.
Here’s a memorable quote she said:
“If you can’t sit at the table, make your own.”
She never gave up after everyone shut the door in her face. She persevered and never sulked. She worked for what she wanted.
Most people don’t understand that if you really want something, you can get it.
You don’t need to be an entrepreneur if that’s not for you. Heck, you can apply for a job a million times until you get it. I have a friend who got an internship at Pixar Studios in California working on animation. It took her twenty-five applications to get it.
If applying like a madman doesn’t work, make your own table.
The tools you need to make your own table.
Step 1: Find your passion
I didn’t figure out writing was my passion until I turned twenty. It could take longer for others.
I found my passion by making a list of hobbies I enjoy. Over the course of a few months, I’d cross out each hobby if I couldn’t make it past ninety days of doing it. Why?
You have to build a habit if you want to turn your passion into a job. If you only enjoy something, that means you like to do it on a whim. You can’t do that with a job.
Step 2: Work on your passion for one hour a day
You need to hone in on your skills.
You do not know what a year’s worth of practice could do if you stay consistent. Working a second job is no excuse. I know you can find one hour a day to get some practice in.
Keeping putting pressure on yourself to meet this quota and your hard work will compound.
Step 3: Practice for a year and keep going
You can’t stop after year one.
Sure, you’re substantially better than you were when you first started, but you still have a long way to go. This is called the five-year rule. If you work on your passion every single day for five years, you’re guaranteed to be successful at it. This holds true for everyone in any line of work.
Here’s a great way to look at this from Darren Hardy’s book, The Compound Effect:
Small choices+consistency+time=significant results
Like I said before, my writing is miles beyond what it used to be, and I can’t imagine how great I’ll get in five years.
Final Thoughts
Again, I know that people have mouths to feed.
I’m not trying to say it’s easy. All I’m saying is that there’s no point in sulking about how much you hate your job if you’re unwilling to change it. The change doesn’t need to happen quickly. But your attitude around it does.
Remember:
- Apply like a madman or make your own table
- Find your passion
- Practice it for one hour a day
- Practice for a year and keep it going
Never lose your momentum. You can be a part of that 15%. All you have to do is put in the work.
I’ll see you at the finish line.
Get my free writing guide that can teach you how to build a writing habit in 90 days or less here.