Unlikable Tasks
You may pass up the opportunity of a lifetime by passing up a job because it has tasks you do not like. Consider the following scenario.
A couple of years ago I needed some minor things done around my home. I hired a handyman and found he was looking for an assistant. The handyman was willing to train the assistant on the job. He had a heart to help someone get started in a construction career and was also willing to recommend this apprentice to others in the construction field later. I knew of a young man just graduating from high school who wanted a job. His mother was moving to another state and he chose to stay in the area and continue to rent the apartment he had shared with his mother. He made it known that he would like to do home construction and repair work. He seemed eager for the opportunity. After meeting the young man, the handyman decided to give him the job.
The young man began working on various projects around my home. He would tell me almost daily how he didn't like this or that about the project he was working on. I finally asked him if he truly wanted to work in home construction and repair. His reply was that he did, but his father had told him when he was younger that he should never do a job that he did not enjoy. I was dumbfounded that a father would give a son such advice. Maybe the son misunderstood what the father was trying to get across to him.
As the project continued, the young man cut corners on every part of the job that he did not care for. His attitude definitely reflected in the finished job. He liked to use a hammer. He was excellent at hammering wood floors and framing, etc. Unfortunately, working as a handyman's assistant included much more than what he liked to do. While framing a wall, he did not like to measure or saw the boards. He rushed through that part of the job and the frame was a mess because it was not measured or cut correctly. The boards had to be scrapped and the job started over again. We lost precious time and the cost of materials and labor. I begged the handyman to be patient with him as the job market was very tight and I did not want to see this young man without an income. Finally after months of struggle, he was laid off.
This occurred several years ago. The last time I heard of this young man he was still struggling to provide for himself. I wish he could have seen the big picture that when you do a job, you will have to do a lot of tasks that you do not like to do. If he had been trainable, it is very possible that he could be doing construction today.
There is a show called "Dirty Jobs" aired on the Discovery channel in the United States. The host challenges viewers to invite him to do the worst jobs possible and he works at those jobs on the show. Some of the jobs included working on an alligator farm, salvaging wood and tires, painting large bridges, cleaning sewers and waste treatment facilities, shoveling manure, etc. I can almost guarantee that as you watch this series, you will find multiple jobs that seem totally disgusting. It is hard to imagine that the workers enjoy most of the tasks that they do. The poor host many times appears as if he just can not bear one more minute of some of the tasks. I have noticed that most of the workers who work these dirty jobs seem to have found a way to cope with the job and even enjoy it. Consider that if the host of "Dirty Jobs" only did tasks he liked to do, he would not be the host for this show.
In over fifty years of life, I have yet to experience any job that did not include a task or two that I did not like to do. These were the tasks that later turned out to be much of what has paved a path to success. Many times being willing to do what others do not want to do as long as it is not illegal or immoral makes a way to success beyond the ordinary. You can look back with peace and a sense of accomplishment as you turn dislikes into likes and no longer treats them as roadblocks.
Here are some reasons you may not like the task to begin with and ways that may help you get those tasks done with a smile and a skip in your step.
1. The task is too hard. If the task is beyond your skill level and you do not know how to do it, ask for help. Remember that those working around you did not come with a high skill level, they had to learn also. Work as hard as you can to do the best that you can do. There is no way to describe the sense of accomplishment when you achieve something you thought you could not do.
2. Change your attitude. Think and speak positively about the aspects of a task you do not like to do. This may be a challenge but explore every possibility of the good things about the task. Remember that there are also tasks you like to do. Every time you finish a task you do not like to do, picture it as a stepping stone to a higher ground. Make a note of how many times you are negative or positive about the task.
3. The task seems long and boring like filing boxes of papers or painting multiple rooms. Set short goals for yourself and determine to do the best job you can for that particular job. Make it like a game where you try to do better and better with each hour that you work. Do not dwell on how big the job is to accomplish. Remember that a large job will give you more pay. Think of how good it will be to look at the job after it is done.
5. Research ways that you can tolerate the tasks you do not like. As a nanny, you may not want to change diapers; maybe it makes you choke. Go on line and look for ways that may make the job more pleasant. I learned that changing diapers were just a small part of the day compared to just enjoying the children. The children were also much happier with clean bottoms.
6. Avoid feeling that a job is beneath you. Realize that many people probably have done that particular task and survived. I really disliked harvesting crops on the farm. The rows seemed like they went on forever and just as soon as one field was harvested, the next field had to be done. As I worked, I made up stories in my head about the crops and sang songs. I thought about what I would do with the income. I thought about how happy people would be to have our fine produce in their home or store. I thought about what it would be like if we did not have the crops and our family was starving. I became thankful for the opportunity to help not only myself but also my parents.
5. If the tasks that you do not like are illegal or immoral do not consider doing them at all. That is a whole lot different than just not liking something. That is a clear reason to turn down a job and look for something else.
If you have chosen a career path and you have to do jobs that you dislike as you work toward your goal, there are many ways to conquer this problem. Break down the roadblocks that stand between you and a dislike. Continue down the path to success.
If you find that a career is filled with more unlikable tasks than likable after the above suggestions, you may want to consider a career change. Sometimes this can not be done quickly. Do research, set goals, and work toward a more likable job situation, but never believe the lie that you should not do any job that you do not like.
