Learn to love your job

Police officers control traffic along Uhuru Hughway off Kenyatta avenue during the WTO Ministerial conference at KICC, Nairobi on wednesday, Dec 16, 2015. PHOTO: JONAH ONYANGO/STANDARD.

A few weeks back, an assistant chief who was caught on camera while drunk was sacked.

The video clip of the chief rolling on the ground was aired on several TV station. “I must drink. Don’t bother with me. I am a man and I was ordered to do so during my initiation into adulthood.,” the drunken chief said on camera.

Some years ago, on my way to my rural home, I stopped at a nearby town to make some purchases. While waiting to be served, a very drunk man staggered past and a person standing next to me quietly commented if that is the behaviour of a teacher, what do you expect from his students.

In a discussion I had some time ago, the point was raised on how far the reputation of some professions had fallen.

One person said that in the 50s, 60s and 70s, a teacher was held in very high esteem in the village, but nowadays they are not respected.

Many of us complain that we are in professions we never wished to be in. Some jobs are not well paying and are very involving and you can end up feeling totally unappreciated and undervalued.

This is bound to lead to feeling of resentment and despair, especially when you imagine yourself in that profession for the next 30 years.

Live In Frustration

Much has been said about how important it is to find a job you love.

Maybe that is not as critical as we have been led to believe. In my experience, most people do not love their work.

Some like it, others tolerate it, but it is a minority who find the type of job they love that also supports their lifestyle.

Does that mean that everyone else has to live in frustration, desperately seeking that ideal job they can be passionate about? Not at all!

It is critical to make a distinction between the job and the way you do it. This is important because every job has features that will be unpleasant to you.

You need to get through them with a smile on your face.

Even if you do not particularly some specific tasks or like the work environment, you can love the way you do it.

Have you ever seen an enthusiastic traffic police office, standing at a junction on a cold, drizzly morning, acting funnily while directing motorists. Does he seem to be having fun? Sure; but he is just doing his job. But, heck! Why not have fun while doing it?

I used to meet some man every morning looking especially smart — cuff links and all.

I was later discovered that he was a jua kali mechanic operating from behind the shopping centre. Should I have been surprised? No. Why? Did he need to look like a mechanic all the time? Certainly not!

He had his work overalls to crawl under cars with. For him; he was a professional. So every day he made sure he looked and felt as good as a bank executive on his way to work. He respected his work.

You should give yourself a pat on the back at the end of each day. In so doing, you also set yourself up for finding, within your company or somewhere else, a job you will enjoy more.

The beauty of this course of action is that soon you may realise that as you focus on doing your work better, some of the irritants become more rewarding, or at least less lousy.

If you cannot be in the job you love, try and love the job you are in — or at least the way you do it. It will make each day more rewarding and enjoyable.