Never Work a Day in Your Life

Confucius had it right

He created the very shareable quote which, according to Google, he achieved way back in March 2013 (but thinking about it, I’m pretty sure that was when someone uploaded the info to Quora).

Either way, the full quote is:

“Find a job you love and you will never work a day in your life.”

– Dave Confucius

Nice.

But is it true?

And if it is, how the heck do you do it?

Part 1. Find a job you love

OK, why is it the shorter the sentence, the more tricky the follow through? (You can file the above sentence alongside: “Don’t worry”, “Be happy”, “Are you still watching?”, and “Share size”.)

Truth is, one is very lucky, if one can get a job one likes at all, let alone one that one actually loves. (Still following? Good.) My whole adult life, until quite recently has featured shitty jobs – literally: I once worked in an old people’s home – and I also know that millions of people do bloody great work, despite a lot of jobs being as fulfilling as a feature-length TED Talk by Piers Morgan.

My chequered past…

My work life has always been, well, let’s call it ‘varied’. I started as a babysitter; I’ve worked at (count them) two old folks’ homes; manned the tills a music shop*; been a (terrible) receptionist; worked in artist liaison at a music agency (i.e. was a poor man’s Simon Cowell); was an assessor trying to spot illegal timber coming into the EU; I’ve been a PR executive; a social media manager; and, my current position: am a freelance copywriter.

*I was once patronisingly told, when I worked at the music shop, that I: “did a great job at re-alphebatising the DVD’s”. “Yes, that’s because I have a degree in English,” I thought to myself with considerable loathing.

Despite having said degree in English Language and Linguistics, for various reasons I won’t bore you with now, getting a job I loved wasn’t easy (let’s just say: everyone these days has a degree and for a long time I had very little self confidence).

But now, as I sit in my little house near the bottom of England (geographically speaking), I can say that writing is my full time job that actually pays the bills. That’s all I really ever wanted.

So, how does my job fit into C-Dog’s famous catchphrase?

Well, I think the key part of this for me is not the nature of the job I’m doing per se (Percy? Who is Percy?) but the fact that it is something I am good at. If I’m honest and throw my modesty out of the window for a moment, I was good at lots of parts of my other jobs too. I’m quite a nice person, the old folks seemed to like me, bless them, and I am a hard worker. What I lacked in ability in the jobs that weren’t made for me I made up for in positive attitude (most of the time).

I now have a job where I am the expert, the one to ask for specific advice, the one who has the answers to wordy-based questions because I really do know them. I also have a natural enjoyment and therefore natural flair for writing that has always been with me since I was four years old and writing stories about The Beatles (probs). So, it’s not that I have the best job in the world that anyone would want, I have the best job in the world for me.

Most importantly, though, having done that varied list of jobs, I feel that none of my past work experience is wasted. Every single day of working led me to the position I’m in today: sitting at my kitchen table, taking some time out to write a blog about writing, because I finally recognise my strengths, and I’m good at it. And that feels bloody great.

Part 2. Never work a day in your life

This is really the part I wanted to get to.

I will note at this point that my modesty is clawing at the windowsill right now, demanding to be let back in, but I’m just going to rap its knuckles with a broom for a sec… hang on… OK done.

I don’t want to come across smug here, I simply want to share with you – whether you’re a budding freelancer, someone who owns their own business after years of working for someone else, or simply someone who is interested in the world of copywriting, that the days when I get the best work done are the days when I don’t feel like I’m working at all.

It’s that whole ‘pegs and holes’ thing (SFW)

As someone who, as I mentioned earlier, had very little self esteem for much of their youth, working in jobs I was shit at, like the proverbial square peg in a round hole, I can’t tell you how effing fantastic it feels to look at my To Do list and think, “ah that’s all fun today! cool!” (I know, right? GEEK!).

And on top of that, the understanding that enjoying your job can lead to greater freedom in your day, your week, and your life because you feel fulfilled and worthy of fun times, is the big pay off.

I now allow myself to write in my spare time (currently a middle-grade children’s novel, if you’re innerested), I’m in a band for the first time in over 10 years, I walk, I cook (I never cooked before!), I run, and I meditate.

Yup, I am now that twat on your inspirational podcasts.

And I don’t care!

So, what’s the point – can I go and have a cup of tea now?

Yep, you’re nearly done. Just a couple more points to make:

Do a job you’re good at and you won’t notice you’re working

– Kate “state the obvious” Nilski

I know I’m being a bit simplistic here, but I think the above is my version of Confy-Baby’s famous Tweet quote.

I think sometimes the emphasis on doing a job you ‘love’ can be a confusing concept for simple-brained folks like me. Or at least folks like me who tend to be self-deprecating to the point of turning oneself inside out. I think ‘loving your job’ can be construed as being a smug thing to say when you earn a six figure sum and work in international development or something.

For a long time, in my mind, a job to ‘love’ went in my head a bit like a dreaded conversation at a school reunion:

Person 1: “So, what do you do now?”

Person 2: “Oh, I wark in international development? And I LAVV what I do, it’s soooo rewarding and hambling…”

Person 1: *Backs away towards the bar*

Not saying that international development isn’t a worthy job, course it is, it’s just a good example of the kind of job you can find a bunch of smug wazzocks, amongst the lovely, caring people.

The ‘Jerry’s Final Thought’ bit

I don’t have kids, but if I did, I’d want to drive home to them that, once they’ve tidied their room and let me have five minutes’ peace, they should make sure they recognise every day what they’re good at.

Now, speaking from experience, I know that’s not an easy thing to do (see my earlier point about simple sentences and tricky follow throughs) but it’s still something to work on.

I’m sure there will still be times this week, this month, this year, where I think, “what is my client on about here?” or “who am I kidding? Get me the number for the Job Centre!”, but it’s a bit like a relationship: once you’re in the right one, it really is for better or for worse.

Having the confidence to do what I am good at means I am doing what I love. That’s led to confidence in lots of other difficult freelancery things, which I might ramble on about another time. But for now, I hope this has made you look at your strengths too. We all have ’em, that’s what makes the world go round.

Right, I’m off to earn some money.

Chat soon, yeah?

Photo of Confucius during the making of his difficult third album in 1975, by Denise Bossarte on Unsplash