A "perfect job" is a myth. Like the Easter Bunny or the Tooth Fairy, the fantasy of a flawless job exists only in the imagination. We like to pretend such things can be real though, if for no other reason than to make the truth seem less stark. Keeping the hope alive in our minds that we really could find a perfect job somehow makes it easier to endure our less-than-perfect one.

Nevertheless, the reality is that every job will have its faults. Every job will encompass at least one responsibility you don't care for. If you're lucky, it's no more than one-as close to perfect as possible. If it's a task that you really loathe, however, it might make the rest of your job unbearable. You might find yourself calling in sick all the time, or playing games on the internet instead of doing your job. This is not likely to go unnoticed, and will put you at risk of being fired.

So what can you do about the hated task or tasks in your job? As I see it, you have only two options: you can quit and find another job, or you can look for ways to make the task(s) more tolerable. To decide which is your best option, ask yourself, "How much do I hate the task? Is it so unpleasant that I'd rather leave this company and hope for greener pastures elsewhere?"

It's very important to be honest with yourself about how you really feel. You can't do anything to change a situation until you know what it is. Spend some time thinking about your job, the pros as well as the cons, and how it makes you feel to be in your current environment. Do you like the people? Is the job fun, or boring? Are there any nice perks?

If you find there are more cons than pros, you might be better off looking for a new job. I know from experience that staying in a job you don't like can suck every last bit of positive energy out of you. It can create emotional distress that will do you and your family no good, and the longer you stay the worse it will get.

If however, you like a great deal of the things about your job, you might be better off finding a way to make the disagreeable aspects more enjoyable. For example, if the task you hate is opening the company mail, try creative visualization. As you open each piece of mail, imagine that it's a check made out to you-and the larger the amount, the better! If you're not used to doing visualizations it might feel weird at first, and difficult to get your mind to focus on the mental image you want. With practice it will become almost automatic, and besides that it can be quite fun.

When it comes to finding creative ways to make your job more enjoyable, your mind is the best tool you have. With your mind, you can find new ways of doing the same old thing. You can think of ways to spice up the task you don't like, even if it's only imaginary. The end result may well be that you begin to like that dreaded task after all. If not, you can always update your resume and hit the road.

Good luck!

Learn more about this author, Julia Williams.
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