There’s a lot of us that talk frequently about the courage to be wrong, and how important it is to go against the grain in order to truly stand out. In this circle we travel in there’s a lot of successful people that aren’t afraid of The You Show, and I respect these people a lot. Once they’ve made the commitment they often get the respect they deserve.
But what about the people who have the courage to be right (when all they want to do is be wrong), when their circumstances dictate that they play by the rules and color within the lines?
I think too often we glorify and glamorize the rule-breakers to the point that we ignore the people enduring the minutia of everyday life in a corporate cubicle. Yet sometimes, they are ‘heroes’ too.
Neither populace deserves to be (or should be) unhappy. For one, the answer might be Gary V’s advice to stop doing the shit you hate. For the others….
Watch the video.
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VIDEO: Stop Hating the Sh*t You Do — http://bit.ly/IoycQ
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Agreed. If you are in a job that you currently aren’t enjoying…make the best of it. A lot of times you can actually do a LOT of good internally. If you are young you can utilize others to channel your entrepreneurial energy and youthful exuberance into the right places.
.-= Stuart Foster´s last blog ..All Roads Lead to an Integrated House =-.
Stuart good points. I think you have to work on changing yourself and finding happiness within first. Once that’s accomplished (granted it’s an ongoing process) you can and should try to shape the environment you work in to make it more conducive both to your happiness, your learning experiences, and the success of the company.
Hey Ryan – really cool video. While you know that I am in the lifestyle design track – I understand the need for many people to hold down a 9-5, pay mortgage or whatever circumstances they face. But…you can do things everyday to make your life and your job more satisfying. Every job is a learning experience, a stepping stone. Make everyday that you are doing something count and you will get yourself into a better position if you hate the shit you are doing now.
Love the video post man – keep up the good work.
.-= Greg Rollett´s last blog ..7 Top Young Social Change Rock Stars =-.
Admittedly, I’m surprised that was your first comment here Greg! Glad you decided to join us!
I think you’re a 100% correct. And in the video I definitely didn’t say anything to the tune of people NOT being able to get on that track and obtain that dream. It’s just that they have to make other sacrifices, and they have to determine for themselves if those are worth it, particularly without a definitive outcome in sight.
If I take that leap and am unsuccessful I’ve lost nothing but time, and I’ve gained a wealth of experience. That’s a tougher leap for someone who HAS to succeed to feed their family (and maybe that’ll make them that much more likely to succeed. I don’t know.)
what I do know is that if people take your advice and learn from everything they encounter, at some point, providing they’re willing to invest the time, they can make a successful transition.
Kinda crazy about the 1st time commenting thing! I look forward to hanging out a little more often! Have a great weekend.
.-= Greg Rollett´s last blog ..Rock Star Recipes – Vegetarian Chili =-.
Ryan: I love this, it’s great advice. Personally, I think it takes courage to be yourself, whether you’re going against the grain or with it.
I also agree that people waste so much time being unhappy and they never do anything about it. Life is too short. I wrote a post recently about the importance of maintaining perspective. It’s important to remember that it could pretty much always be worse. If you’re unhappy, and you have the power to make a change for the better, do it. Like you said, stop the sh*t you do! Great post!
.-= Sam´s last blog ..Typos, Grammar Woes, and Your Credibility as a Blogger =-.
Sam,
I’ll definitely have to check out that post (if I haven’t already and just forgotten.) Most of us waste entirely too much time being unhappy, me included. I mean, it’s easy for me to feel sorry for myself that I’m 17 hours away from friends and family, but what exactly does that accomplish? It doesn’t help anything.
And employing the notion that it could be worse is also something I try to do as well Sam. It has an interesting way of putting things into perspective.
Ryan: Such a great, great post. So often do you hear about the huge successes and big dreams and it all sounds great and rosy and perfect. I’ll admit — I’ve subscribed to that dream as well. But sometimes it takes more than courage — sometimes it takes resources. And sometimes, you just don’t have it. It’s great to dream. It’s great to take that leap and do what you want to do because I believe that’s what’s important in life. But sometimes you just can’t. And that doesn’t mean that what you’re doing instead is any less meaningful, it’s just different. So maybe the point is to keep that dream alive, go for it if you can, but in the meantime, be happy for what you have. Because what you have might be worth it as well, only in a different context.
Your post really spoke to me in that context, so I really appreciate what you had to say. Love this post, great job!
.-= Susan Pogorzelski´s last blog ..I’m No Super[wo]man =-.
As you sometimes so eloquently explain to me, I have nothing to add.
Sincerely, I always appreciate your comments and this one is no exception. I couldn’t have said it better myself. What you’ve re-iterated is 100% what I was trying to convey.
Great post. Lots of quotes apply, but I like this one: “Courage does not always roar. Sometimes it is a quiet voice at the end of the day saying, “I will try again tomorrow.” – Maryanne Radmacher
.-= Doug Erickson´s last blog ..What If? =-.
Doug,
I’ve seen the quote before, but it’s been awhile. Thanks for reminding me of it’s uplifting and true message. I think it’s a great compliment to the video and to anyone looking to keep pressing on.
Even if you hate your job and the situation you’re in, that doesn’t mean that you can’t try and be a baller at it. If you don’t like your job and you let this effect the quality of your work, you’re going to have a sucky job and look like a sucky employee.
There’s always an opportunity to challenge yourself professionally (whether its in your job or outside of it) or to go beyond your job description and so something you actually care about it.
Or if that fails, you can always play pranks on coworkers in the office, a la The Office.
First, thanks for all your valuable contributions to this blog. Without people like you Matt, Stuart, Elisa and others it wouldn’t be nearly as much fun to share my thoughts with ‘this space.’
Second, you bring up a great point. Yes, sometimes your job will suck. Yes, some days are worse than others, but you should NEVER compromise your integrity no matter. If you want out, and can afford to take the leap, go for it, but as long as you’re working somewhere it’s imperative that you always deliver the best work possible. That says a lot about your character, and won’t jeopardize the rest of your career if you try to take the leap and belly-flop.
First question would be what if your job does not dictate who you are? There are a great number of people who work to earn a paycheck to do what they REALLY love (hobbies, side pursuits, etc.)
I’ve noted many a time I’m not a leaper or rule breaker or risk taker. I live within a very planned and programmed life. I definitely do things to advance myself (personally and profesionally) but they are calculated and thought out. I’m a bit jealous (ok, maybe a big bit jealous) of my peers that jump and manage to land on all fours, the few times I’ve tried I’ve belly flopped instead. Yet I frequently forget the fact that I’ve managed to set up a pretty sweet life for myself, and heck, this is only the beginning!
.-= Elisa´s last blog ..BlogCrush – Carlos Miceli =-.
Now how am I supposed to focus long enough to respond to your comment when I see a Carlos Miceli blog post just staring at me down there?
[Will return momentarily…]
[…Okay, phew, I’m back.]
I don’t for one second think that your job dictates who you are (at least it shouldn’t unless I guess you want it to.) BUT I think that people who are just out to earn a paycheck (if they’re working 40+ hours) will eventually become miserable regardless of their salary and their additional hobbies. 40+ hours a week is a LONG time to endure each week if you’re not happy.
I think that’s the thing all Gen Y needs to realize, especially those of us not even 25 yet. We have a LONG time ahead of us (at least barring anything unfortunate), and while that doesn’t mean to be satisfied if you’re unhappy (life is short) it does mean that we can afford to make strategic moves and really map out a great career for ourselves.
Am I getting better at responding to your comments?
R
Well, you KNOW I’m a “you gotta do what you love and love what you do” kind of girl, but I do know people that lead very happy lives just punching the clock and plodding along. Personally that would feel like walking on practically melted burning hot broken glass, but that is part of my personality. Even if it isn’t who you are, I feel like you should still like it and want to be good at it. But I have friends that are perfectly content doing 800 other things and merely showing up to earn the money to do those things. Career is important to some, and less to others. I don’t get it either, but I do know people who are that way.
PS – You’ll be glad to know I created a favorites list in my Google Reader so I can get to blogs like yours first when I have 87 to read like I did last night at the library! 🙂
I really like what you have to say. I’m part idealist/vagabond/risk taker and also part responsible because I know that a steady paycheck and job is important right now in my life.
I know a lot of ‘unhappy’ people because of their jobs and their current situation because they’re not skipping the country or something wild like that. Truth is, adventure lies everywhere and although things aren’t always ideal we can take it with a grain of salt and enjoy it. I like this level of realism you’re talking about. I like it a lot!
.-= Grace Boyle´s last blog ..Women, What Does Your Body Language Say? =-.
Good stuff Ryan – I’ve written about it before, the idea that something can be learned from EVERY experience, no matter how much it might suck. Don’t let your work define you, instead, focus on defining the work you do.
.-= Matt Cheuvront´s last blog ..Measuring Your Blog’s Success: It’s Not All About Numbers =-.
I just wanted to leave a comment that your stop hating the shit you do line, really resonated with me. I’m hoping to be self-employed by early next year, but 9-5, I’m still working for someone else. There’s days when I definitely let it drag me down, I think I need to start looking at it differently.
.-= Mike from Daily Shot Of Coffee´s last blog ..What I’m Drinking – Rain Forest Crunch from Port City Coffee Roasters =-.
When my company was acquired in October 2008, my whole HR team knew we were going to be let go eventually and than found out in January that our day would come in March. I was a corporate recruiter for one of the fastest growing software companies in the US and was responsible for all of the hiring in the US as the only recruiter. I loved my job. The situation sucked, and I hated it, but I made the best of it. My smile inside and outside of my body means more to me than anything.
Oracle offered me a position as a HR generalist, and knowing that’s not what I want to do…well I turned it down. Instead of working in a job that I would dislike, I went to Cancun, Key West, and than Vegas to cap off my summer of 2009. In July I started a blog, and realized that I mother chocolate fudging love being a blogger. It’s opened my eyes up to a new world I never knew existed. So many people have reached out to me and welcomed me to their world. Through my blog I’ve secured my next position as a Director of Operations and Business Development for a new start up company. A position that will be a lot of work, and a great deal of risk, but an exciting opportunity.
Excitement. Knowledge. Friendship.
When I turned down a job with an amazing company (oracle) I was taking a big risk. I wanted to vacation and see the world, and I knew that it would be tough to gain employment again. But I did not want to hate my shit. My shit needs to be loved. I will always put myself in a mind set to love the shit that I do, but I will go to great lengths to avoid things I don’t enjoy doing. In my case it appears that it has worked out, but my risk is not over. If i can make this company fly, I will have danced with the devil and made myself look like Shakira.
My shit will always make me happy and my hips don’t lie.
.-= Rich DeMatteo´s last blog ..Why Do Long Interview Processes Fail? (win a professional resume edit, contest details at bottom) =-.
@Rich – Great example and thanks for sharing it here. I suspect that while your hips might not lie, they look nothing like Shakira’s. In spite of that fact, I’m also we were able to connect via Elisa and I look forward to getting more acquainted with your content!
I don’t know what I was thinking. They are far from Shakiras. Why won’t she marry me?
.-= Rich DeMatteo´s last blog ..Why Do Long Interview Processes Fail? (win a professional resume edit, contest details at bottom) =-.