A 2003 survey by the Society of Human Resources found that that eight out of ten workers wanted to leave their jobs. And according to motivational coach Ed Foreman, more heart attacks happen on Monday between 8:00 and 9:00 a.m. than at any other hour. No doubt every one of us knows what it’s like to wake up thinking, “Not another day. Not another week. Can I somehow get out of it?”
There’s a verse in Ecclesiastes that says, “So I saw that there is nothing better for people than to be happy in their work. That is why we are here!” (Ecclesiastes 3:21)
Here’s a key distinction: Solomon didn’t say, “There is nothing better for people than to have work that makes them happy.” The emphasis is on you being happy in your work, not on your work making you happy.
In my experience, some people get bored with great jobs, others approach the most mundane tasks with passion and enthusiasm. It’s not really about one’s job, it’s about one’s attitude in doing it.
Your job is what it is, and that won’t change. But you can take steps today to change the way you approach your work, steps that empower to find (in Solomon’s words) satisfaction in your toil.
