Staying in a job you resent, is as bad as being in a toxic relationship

On Valentine's Day women talk about why it's not important to love someone else but your own self. Your own life. Your own work. Your own leisure. And love your job.

Scenario A:

It is 7 in the morning, the alarm goes off, and after hitting the snooze button twice you’re forced to open your eyes. You put your feet on the ground, drag them to the bathroom, look into the mirror.A lifeless face greets you. You’d rather not see it; you rush through your ablutions, and change into the same old pair of grey slacks, skip breakfast, and head to your work place, wading through a sea of traffic. You reach your desk, you’re late, you have a ton of work to do, and you bury your face in it. The tube light flickering over your head gives you a headache. Without a single hope in your heart, you sit there wishing it would all end, waiting to die in the same cubicle.

So this Valentine’s Day, make a promise to yourself to love the job you have, or find a job you love. ‘Cause staying in a job you resent, is as bad as being in a toxic relationship.

Scenario B:

Now, let’s consider another scenario. You walk back to your desk post lunch. Shards of daylight stream in through the window, bathing your laptop in a golden glow. For a moment, you stand back in amazement. Then, you take your place at the desk, open the pending tasks, and start working on them one by one. The golden rays now fall on you. Your fingers hesitate for a second. Soon they pick up a rhythm and move of their own accord, deftly, like a maestro playing a symphony. You sit there with a sense of belonging and purpose. There’s a tiny flutter in your heart. Love, you suspect? I call it thrill!

Why do we relate to Scenario A?

Let’s be honest. Most of us relate to Scenario A. Why? As an 18 year old, fresh out of pre-university college or high school, one would hardly have the maturity to make the decision for a lifetime. Most of us end up choosing a field not because we like it, but because our friends are choosing it, because our parents or society expects us to choose a certain field.

In this season of love, I talk of loving one's job.

Why is it important to love your job?

According to the Factories Act of 1948, average working hours for any adult in India is 48 hours per week. More than 40% of your day, you are working. That is, you’re spending more than half of your life at your work desk! Ergo, it is imperative that you love what you do.

Back in 2014, I had completed my engineering in computer science from a reputed institute in Bangalore with a cool First Class Distinction, and secured a job in the coveted campus placement. Within months, the reality of my job hit me. I hated it. I went into depression for more than two years, gained weight, lost hair, was diagnosed with menorrhagia, and it was affecting every area of my life. Everything was spiralling down…until I changed my perspective.

It is possible to feel absolutely delighted about your work! And no, you don’t have to change your profession for it

Now, I work as a full-time author, my fictional story ‘The Murder Of Jay Shekhar,’ is published by the reputed Shristi Publishers. I work on anything related to writing. But most importantly, I love what I do!

How do you go from Scenario A to Scenario B?

Yes, it is possible to feel absolutely delighted about your work! And no, you don’t have to change your profession for it. But you have to change your perspective about it, and ask yourself the right questions. What is it that you love to do? Is there a new skill you’d like to learn? How can you get better at what you do? What is your priority as of now: job satisfaction, money, skills, or work/ life balance? And take decisions accordingly.

So this Valentine’s Day, make a promise to yourself to love the job you have, or find a job you love. ‘Cause staying in a job you resent, is as bad as being in a toxic relationship.