Jobs, amirite? Simultaneously a source of freedom and a mandatory burden. As a person in the arts, I can attest that much of the way I make money is NOT from the things I create. My jobs are not always my passions. It can be discouraging at times to realize that your bills take precedence over your dreams in an immediate sense, but there are many ways to cope with this fact, keep resentment at bay, and be great at any job you choose to do. It’s all about perspective and attitude (surprise!) so read on:

Sometimes Your Job Is Just A Means To An End—And That’s A-Okay
I have had countless jobs that I could have considered “beneath me,”  if I wanted to get snobby about it, but I’ve been consistently so stoked to be able to pay my bills that I’ve never really had any interest in taking time out of my day to be resentful about being able to support myself. We attach a lot of personal worth to the way we make money, and I don’t know that it’s the healthiest way to look at the world. I love my job because it affords me the freedom to spend my personal time doing things I love to do. That’s all. I don’t identify with it and it simply does not define who I am. Remembering that your job (joe or otherwise) is a means to an end can be a great way to give yourself some perspective—especially if you are pursuing a career that requires you to work joe jobs to supplement some of your income. If you hate what you’re doing, change the way you think about it. I will work ANY job if I need one (they are also an incredible source of hilarious anecdotes, which is a bonus for anyone who attends cocktail parties, not just comedians).

Care About What You’re Doing
Although you may be working a job because you need it rather than because it’s something you want to spend the rest of your life doing, take pride in it. If you find yourself going to work and doing a half-assed job because you don’t care about it, you need to change your perspective (see above) or get a new job. This kind of apathy will bleed into the rest of your life and affect your overall mentality. If you take pride in the job you’re doing and do it to the best of your ability, you’re practising being present (#buddha), which is necessary for my next point…

Anticipate What Is Needed of You Before You’re Asked To Do It
The single most important thing you can do in a job (and life in general) is actively assess your current situation and think ahead. This shows that you are conscientious and hyper-aware of what is going on around you at all times. I value this in co-workers and in friends, and I never forget the people who operate this way. When I am in a position to throw work someone’s way, I pick planners and self-starters first.

Say Yes More Than You Say No
Instead of grumbling about and immediately taking issue with the things that people ask of you, why not try a revolutionary new tactic: just smile and do them. This is not to say that you should necessarily do things that are outside of your job description, but sometimes it’s just easier to get things out of the way than waste personal energy putting up a fuss or feeling resentful. Your day will go by faster and your boss will love you for it.

Meet Challenges (or, ahem—challenging people) With Compassion
It can be so incredibly frustrating to turn off the part of yourself that feels the urge to teach a rude person a lesson, but if you take your ego out of the equation and realize that it’s not your responsibility to teach or change people, the frustration will begin to dissipate. My general philosophy is that most upset or rude people can be calmed down if they feel they are being listened to, and this is where my Theatre degree has come in very handy (acting is fun). If you’re feeling particularly self-righteous, you can find inconspicuous ways to insert your point of view into almost any negative interaction. My go-to move is to listen with as much compassion as possible, and then find a friendly way to put the issue into perspective by simply solving it without reacting to their negativity, or by giving them a full explanation of what happens on my end so they understand the situation more fully. When someone feels like they have you on their side, it becomes easy to get them to see a bigger picture, especially if it’s a person who is honestly just a real big bag o’ dicks.

We all have to have jobs (unless you marry rich, which isn’t a terrible idea, now that I’m thinking about it), why not make the best of it where you can? Some days are just plain annoying, but in general it’s so much easier to find the positive things about the way you spend a huge chunk of your time. Plus, discounts where you work, right? #halfpriceentrees!