During particularly torturous workouts, my martial arts instructor would say to us: “Remember, you’re paying me for this, so you might as well enjoy it.”
At that time, it was a bit of a joke, but it was effective. We’d smile and try harder, because it was fun, even though it hurt.
I’m often reminded of this when I run into obstacles at work, in my passion projects, in my legacy work. When even a project I love begins to feel like a grind, I imagine the work, the project, the dream saying to me, “Remember, you’re invested in me; you’re proud of what you’re doing, so you might as well enjoy it.”
Do you like the work you love?
That’s a question we don’t ask often enough. Instead, we focus on productivity, schedules, organization, simplicity, systemization, being more responsible, getting more done.
But fun is also important, because it’s the close cousin of passion. It’s hard to stay passionate about something if you never get any fun out of it.
People say that suffering for your art is noble and romantic. I’m not so sure. There will be struggles, and there will be (many) times when you just have to grit your teeth and push through, but if you’re invested in doing work you truly love, shouldn’t you be enjoying yourself most of the time?
And if you aren’t, then perhaps it’s time to take a hard look at what you’re doing – and why. A few things to consider:
- If you’re not emotionally, financially, or physically invested in something, then you can’t really call it your great work.
- It’s very difficult to sustain work you love if it’s not also work you like. Saying you love something carries an undercurrent of seriousness, weight, duty – but saying you like something is natural and effortless.
- Fun is partly a choice. If you decide that great work doesn’t always have to be serious and dignified, it’s easier to (re)discover the bits that you truly enjoy.
Your turn: What first attracted you to the work you’re doing now? Have your reasons changed over time – and have you allowed your work to adapt accordingly?
Do you still enjoy your work? What’s fun about it? What keeps you going when things get tough?
12 Comments on “Do You Like the Work You Love?”
says:
In short, yes.
It’s only been a little over a month, but I love the writing, networking, and connections I’ve made so far. It has definitely been hard work. With the full-time job and family, I’m usually up writing/working until 1 or 2am. I really don’t mind because I really do enjoy the work – the only time it bothers me is when the alarm goes off in the morning and I have to get the kids ready to go and head off to the day job!
When things get tough I just look at where I want to go with the whole thing, and focus on the fact that when I can ditch the 9-5 I’ll get a double benefit. I’ll have more time to spend on it, and the quality of that work will improve!
says:
On LinkedIn you need to write your interests as part of your profile. I wrote travel, surf, writing, reading, and also wrote FUN. Yes, I am interested in having fun. I imagine most people are, yet why don’t they at there jobs? If work is a constant burden, then it is time to do something else, time to have FUN.
stay adventurous,
Craig
says:
“But fun is also important, because it’s the close cousin of passion.” – love this idea
Just to throw a wrench in the works here, what if you are passionate about work (read: productivity)? Sometimes I find that I feel better and have more fun/passion when I am productive regardless of whether or not I actually enjoy what I am doing.
Is it just me? (its certainly possible)
Thanks for the great read Jeffrey.
says:
Great distinction between like and love, Jeffrey. I do both love/like my work, and was initially attracted to it for many reasons: the chance to listen, help people, stand in their shoes, hear their stories. All that’s still good, and can be very fun. But what’s interesting is that I work with a lot of people who don’t love or like their work. And than can be draining, even though it’s my job to see them through that to the other side. What I’ve learned, though, is that there’s a strong undercurrent of “work is drudgery” operating in our culture, a bit of a wet blanket that keeps people from even allowing themselves to consider the like/love/fun of work, so instead they go looking for magic, don’t find it, then end up back at “work is drudgery.” It’s weird, and hard to articulate. So what has actually made my work more fun is working with people at this deeper level, around beliefs, archetypes, and identity.
says:
Dear Jeff,
A great topic and post! I have been thinking about this as I have been very busy with my work, my passion. I have had the pleasure of enjoying all my work for many years.
Now, with a new endeavor which has required 10-15 hour days (for a brief period of a couple months), my thoughts about work and enjoyment have been at the forefront.
A couple weeks ago I realized what had felt like fun was not feeling so fun. For me, that is the key. I was mindful about it. Now I am having fun again.
Why? I take more breaks (I have always joked that I can take relaxation and turn it into an art form ;-p).
Also, though, I recognize that when having one’s own business, there are going to be moments that require one to push through, as you say. Or as Jim Morrison put it so aptly: “Break on through to the other side”.
It does feel good to be back on the side of feeling the fun again. The passion has never been lost!
Thanks again for a thought-provoking post!
Warm regards,
Lauren
says:
Hello Jeffrey,
I love the work I do. Passion is the key to be what I am today.
By mentoring and assisting people I understand what are their problems and how can I assist them.
Cheryl
says:
Great post and a very timely one for me to share with my fellow public educators. You will never find a group of people more emotionally invested in their work. It is a sad fact that the politicians and media (now more than ever) wish to blame all of society’s ills on those in this noble profession.
says:
Hi Jeffrey, A great question and some interesting comments. One thing that occurs to me is that the word “work” covers a lot of territory. It is the job or tasks you do, but it’s also the place where you go to do them. Many people, including me, have experienced work-places which are unnecessarily stressful. This can happen even if we love and like the job we do while we’re “at work.”
In terms of Patty’s comment, I agree that the idea of work as drugery is, definitely, a cultural undercurrent. But a lot of work is drugery; a lot of jobs are dead-ends with no future. People in these jobs may never experience liking or loving their work at all.
says:
Most of the time I feel like the luckiest person in the world to get to be a writer. I love it, plain and simple. But some projects are more interesting than others and when I start to get bored with one I tell myself a variation on the same thing–there are people in the world who would kill for this job, you might as well enjoy it! Thanks for the reminder.
says:
Jeffrey,
Glad to see you posted this. I was just listening to our conversation from FRiday and this was one of my favorite things about what we talked about. Having gun with what you do is so essential. I was first attracted to what I to do now because of the level of freedom and independence it would give me. What I didn’t realize is how much opportunity for growth it would bring. I”m really fortunate to have an awesome boss and to work on creating things that i’m interested in. When it gets tough I think it’s just important to keep in mind that there are natural ebbs and flows to everything.