Theodore Roosevelt once said,
“Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.”
I first saw this quote 10 years ago while I was on a middle school field trip to the Lone Star state’s capital: Austin, Texas. It was in a beautiful pamphlet printed on vintage-looking paper, and being a child who wasn’t allowed to go out much except for the occasional school trip, I clung to it and to the other wonders I saw that day. On a deeper level, my father had always instilled in me a strong worth ethic and the importance of a job well done, so it’s no wonder that throughout the years, this quote was a constant companion in the back of my mind.
Tips To Survive Your Job
Tip #1: Your Time is Valuable, So Set Boundaries
There weren’t many moments during my rural childhood where my father wasn’t working, whether he was heading off to his job at the chemical plant or working on the yard outside while his four daughters trailed behind him doing menial tasks. If there was one thing (tips to survive your Job) I learned from him, it was a job well done required focus; otherwise, you end up with a shoddy fence, a busted finger, or worse. Not only should you set boundaries for yourself, but you should respect your time enough to ensure that others don’t take advantage of your gifts. When others ask for your help, it’s ok to say ‘this is what I can or can’t do’ and stick with it. You’re worth it.
Tip #2: Work Worth Doing Isn’t Set in Stone
Since I was 16 years old, I’ve worked in many different roles: grocery bagger, political assistant, nonprofit manager, writer; you name it, I’ve done it. And every time I’ve taken on a new role, I couldn’t help but ask myself, ‘is this the right job for me? What if I’m not good at it?’ which would then turn into a whole avalanche of negative emotions that ultimately culminated into the belief that what I was doing was not only meaningless, I would be stuck doing it for the rest of my life.
If this train of thought sounds familiar, I want you to know that it is a lie, a terrible lie that you don’t need to believe anymore. The truth is, people change, you change. How you decide to share your time and labor is up to you; whether it’s towards something meaningful, necessary, right, or just plain fun is no one’s business but your own. Take the chance to explore the work worth doing in your life, even if it changes and morphs into something new.
Also read about “10 Psychological tricks you can try on your friends”.
