How to Find Happiness and Passion in a Job You Don't Like (from the Start)

Many fresh graduates (me included) often search for the "right job". Looking back over the past year, I've found out that those who grow and succeed are the ones who manage to find contentment and sync with their own work rhythm, even if the job didn't ignite their passion right from the start.

While everyone aspires to secure a job that deeply resonates with them, not everyone is fortunate enough to land such a role. But today, I think I've 've found a way to be happy in a job we didn't like since the beginning.

3 key factors to make us happy in our job:

1. Competence -being good at what we do.

2. Autonomy - having a sense of freedom

3. Relatedness - connecting with others.

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1+2) Competence + Autonomy : #ExpertisesComesWithFreedom

Have you ever noticed that we tend to enjoy a job that makes us feel like "we can do it"? That's because it gives us a sense of control. On the flip side, we don't like a job that's too difficult or demanding. The more a job doesn't align with our interests but has to be done due to constraints, the less we enjoy it.

For example, let's say I'm working as a food runner in Canada (a job I never thought I'd end up doing). The main task involves taking dishes from the kitchen and placing them on a food trolley, then serving them at the customers' tables. It's a routine job with repetitive tasks and fixed procedures, seemingly lacking freedom in the process.

However, as I keep doing it, I realize that there are points where I can inject my own freedom and playfulness.

The most exciting part of my daily work routine is when there's a flood of orders.

The challenge arises when numerous tables place orders simultaneously. I must rapidly determine which table's orders can be delivered together, arrange all the dishes (approximately 20-30 items) on the trolley in a manner that they fit, allowing me to push them all at once for time-saving efficiency.

It might appear to be a minor detail, but I genuinely find it enjoyable. It's like solving a puzzle. If we manage it smoothly, we feel proud, like we've conquered something. We can then casually turn to our supervisor and say, "My area is stable."

It's like solving a puzzle. When I can handle it smoothly, it boosts my self-esteem and fills me with pride. Then, I can casually communicate through the speaker to my supervisor, saying, "My part is stable."

Furthermore, this is an aspect within my job that I can "control."

Had it been a job we loved right from the start, we'd readily invest "time" in it wholeheartedly.

But when it's a job we don't particularly like (yet need to do for various reasons), we should "give ourselves a chance" to allocate "time" to it. This allows us to develop expertise and discover a sense of "freedom" within.

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3. Relatedness #ConnectWithOthers

This is crucial because people stay or leave jobs based on how they get along with others.

When I started as a food runner, I mostly cared about getting paid. I didn't bother connecting with coworkers as I didn't feel like part of them.

But I was wrong. It was me not trying to genuinely know them. After changing my mindset, I started talking more to everyone – from the front-of-house staff to the soup chef, the veggie prep lady, the dishwashing uncle, the fruit slicing lady, and the meat cutting guy.

The best way is just "asking their name" and mention their name when talking. People loooooove hearing their name.

And after that, everything changed.

From a tense atmosphere, work became fun. I say hi to everyone and give compliments for even small things.

A positive vibe turns tough tasks into doable ones (now I walk into the kitchen and ask some to teach me Cantonese).

Even though kitchen work wasn't my passion, I enjoy it more now.

Cal Newport's book "So Good They Can't Ignore You" says "Working right trumps finding the right work." Adapting effective work approach matters more than finding the perfect job.

If you're unhappy with your job, give this a shot. You might be amazed, like I was.

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If you want to know more about life in Vancouver IG: Puiionsunnyside (Thai marketer & photographer based in Vancouver, Canada)