The Life-Changing Power of Doing Work You Hate

The timeless art of turning adversity into growth.

Photo by Yan Krukov from Pexels

I tried not to vomit on the freshly shined steering wheel of my car.

I’d been at my new job in financial services for about a month, and I already knew I wasn’t a good fit. My stomach churned at the thought of spending another day working in my glass box, dealing with customers who treated me like mud on their shoes. The day before my near-vomit, a client yelled at me for not giving her money she didn’t have in her account — like it was my fault.

I can’t count the number of mornings I took my hour-long commute to work and wished I was going almost anywhere but there. I’m not alone, I know. Even since the pandemic, a record number of people are quitting their jobs to figure out what makes them happy. Society tells you the only work worth doing is work you’re passionate about. I disagree.

Everyone needs to have at least one job they hate––for a little while. And I’m not talking about that summer job you had when you were sixteen serving burgers at a fast-food joint. I’m talking about a forty-plus hour per week job that makes you question everything about your life.

Because doing work you hate––for a little while––can transform your life in ways that following your passion never…