I bet your story is a lot like mine.
I did what I was taught to do, to work hard, get good grades and get into college so I could follow my passion.
Problem was, my passion was writing. And I was sick and tired of being poor.
So when I learned that engineers made good money, I switched my major. And even though I didn't really like the material, I received a degree in engineering.
Then I did what I was taught to do: I got a job with a solid company. I worked hard, going above and beyond on every assignment I could - sometimes sacrificing fun and well-being so I could get the job done.
It's true that the money was good... and I was miserable.
You see, my next career opportunity was supposed to be a domestic transfer out of state - which, for this Texan, meant giving up high school football, rodeos, and Tex-Mex.
Problem was, I wasn't excited about uprooting my life to chase a promotion for work I didn't love.
All the personal development books I read told me I needed to take control of my life… no matter how scary that might seem. (I've been a personal development junkie for as long as I can remember.)
So I did what I was taught to do - I changed companies!
That was fun for a while - I got to do interesting work and see the world on business trips. But I was still unhappy.
Then I finally realized that maybe I should stop doing what I was taught and do something different. So I did, and took a lateral role in my company.
I hunkered down and really dug into all that personal effectiveness material I'd gathered over the years. And I finally figured it out for me.
You see, I finally figured out that I was weary. Weary of working hard to prove myself to those voices in my head that were telling me what I should do. Weary of putting my wants aside time and again. Weary of doing what I was taught to do.
Because I was so weary, part of me went numb to how I was feeling about that inner conflict. And because of the numbness, I didn't always give a darn about what I was doing - and I didn't always bring my best self to my work.
No matter how many hours I worked, my work satisfaction didn’t change until I changed enough to change my work situation.
I believe it's our right to enjoy the work we do. And more importantly, I believe it's our responsibility to ourselves and to our families and loved ones to be satisfied with our work, so that the precious time we spend with them isn't filled with complaints of "I'm sooo sick of my job."
If you're weary and frustrated at not being able to figure out why you dread your work, I’m here to tell you that you can work through it all and create the career that you love and deserve.