We all felt it. It's the end of the day, you sit down in your designated form of transport and you're just flushed with apathy and exhaustion. The headache. The soreness. You just want to get home and plop yourself on the couch with a snack and a dose of reality TV. You think, "Gym/Class/Whatever can wait until tomorrow". This repeats on loop until TGIF and then you start again. If you're lucky there's a long weekend just around the corner.
You eat vegetables, drink caffeinated beverages and get 6-7 hours of sleep each night. Why does every day end up like you're just wrapped up a day at a loom at a Victorian Factory? You lack motivation to pursue any hobby. Your soul is crushed. You catch yourself thinking why work a mediocre job for an average existence.
I spent over a decade looking for work that was meaningful. Switching jobs to find that meaning proved futile. I couldn't understand why grass was always greener and why the elated feeling at a new job only lasted a few weeks. I was letting external forces dictate my inner happiness.
Any job can bring meaning to your life if you let it. Life can be meaningful if you don't live in 2 day intervals. It was only after I reassessed my career and created a goal for myself that work stopped sucking my soul. Every difficulty with a colleague or a customer became a trial, a lesson for my future. Even the most meaningless of jobs can be fulfilling.
To find meaning in our dead-end jobs of early 21st century, look internally. If your job pays decently well then congratulations! Maybe you should just find a hobby. If you are underemployed then congratulations again! You can take the time to assess your hopes and aspirations and apply it in your professional life. The world is your oyster.
We're beyond the place in time where a job defines us. Our last names are no longer dictated by our vocation. You're not tied to how you make your living. We have roofs over our heads, working toilets and running water. You're capable of anything you aim to achieve.
Next time you sit down after an 8 hour shift, close your eyes and imagine what you would rather be doing. Whatever it may be can be achieved now. That motivation will put the pep in your step and allow you find meaning in your average existence.
