Everybody hates their job some days. It's easy to say that you always look forward to going to work. The only people who say that are independently wealthy, work for themselves, and only go to work when they feel like it. I've never met anyone who likes going to work every day. Even people with hobbies sometimes take a break.

So, the only real solution is to find a way to make your job easier to live with. There are various ways to make even the most odious job more pleasant. For the sake of space and time, I will limit my list to my top three.

First, try turning it into a game. I had a job once where about one or two days a week I had to take information and stuff it into about 1000 envelopes. That was dull. By timing my work, I could determine how many envelopes that I could stuff in a minute or five minutes and try to beat my record. When I had to do this job alone, this was all that kept me from the rubber room.

Another viable option is to look for ways to find humor in what you do. If it's a desk job, look for bizaare spelling mistakes or weird names that you can have some fun with. Most jobs have a little space for practical jokes on co-workers. In this area, you just want to be sure not to get dangerous or too carried away. I remember a job where we generated the equivalent of plastic confetti as a by-product of our work. Once we attached a string to a ceiling tile, covered the tile with confetti, and attached the other end to something a co-worker had to move. You can see the outcome. It took about 2 minutes to sweep up the mess.

Third, try to make friendships that are interesting on the job. It's often easier to go to work to see your friends than to go to work just to work. They don't have to be social friends. Find people who can carry on a conversation and work too. This will keep both of you out of trouble with the boss.

Sometimes no matter what you do, your job will just be your job. At those times, you just have to grit your teeth and do what you're being paid to do. You don't always have to enjoy it to do it. It just helps if you can find a way to make it more pleasant.

Learn more about this author, Allen Teal.
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