Finding a "Good Enough" Job

Find a "Good Enough" Job

Sounds like something for slackers - but there is real merit in this idea.  Instead of constantly looking for a job that fills every one of your desires - purpose, passion, financial return, stimulation, impact, and amazing relationships - you could find a job that meets some of them and look to fill those other buckets elsewhere.  This is the concept of a great podcast I recently listened to on The Happiness Lab, hosted by Dr. Laurie Santos with guest Simone Stolzoff (author of The Good Enough Job: Reclaiming Life from Work).

But is it Good Enough?

In this podcast, Stolzoff makes the case for finding a job that is "good enough" instead of obsessing over finding a job that you LOVE.  It is similar to the concept of "perfect is the enemy of good".

Let me chime in here - no one should be miserable all day, every day at work.  If you are - then your job is NOT good enough, and you should be looking for something better.

But in today's society, there is a lot of talk about purpose, passion, and loving what you do.  There are quotes like "if you love what you do, you never work a day in your life", which is complete BS because I've met people who absolutely love what they do, and they still consider it work.

If you would wake up every day and do exactly what you do without pay - then you can use that last quote.  But most, if not all of us, would likely spend our days doing something else if we weren't being paid.

And that is OK!  It is why we are paid - we are exchanging our time and expertise for (hopefully) fair compensation.  This is the model that we've all bought into.

We do spend a lot of hours at work, so there is value in finding people, projects, and/or purpose in what we do.  But work doesn't need to fill all of those buckets. 

Stolzoff makes the claim that you will be a more well-rounded and potentially happier person if work isn't filling all of those buckets.  Because if work is your end-all, be-all in life, and you lose that job because economies crash/ technologies change/ management goes in a different direction - you can feel really lost. 

If you develop purpose, passions, and relationships that are fulfilling outside of work, you have a more balanced identity and a support system for if/when your job does fall through.

This concept is really about right-sizing your expectations.  If you expect your job to be everything and you give it your everything, you are setting yourself up for disappointment, stress, and a potential mental crisis. 

If you are realistic about what you are getting from your current role, it reduces some of the anxiety and stress around searching for something better.  When you decrease anxiety and stress, your mind is free to focus on the work at hand.

In a weird irony of sorts - by accepting a "good enough" job for what it is, you will likely feel more satisfied.  More satisfaction brings better mood, better performance, and better outcomes in all areas of your life.  This will eventually bring you better opportunities.

I saw a quote that says "Good enough is never good enough".  Every person I know that subscribes to this philosophy is constantly striving to fill a hole inside of them that they can't.  They are endlessly working and never feeling fulfilled.  

If this works for you - have at it.  This doesn't work for me or the majority of my clients because it eventually leads to burnout and alienation of deeper, more fulfilling relationships.  When what you have is never good enough, it is generally a lack of self-love.  You're in a cycle of chasing ghosts - hollow, unfulfilling, and not real.   (If you want support on that, reach out).

There are very few roles that are 100% AMAZING.  There are roles that pay more, that are more flexible, that have better leaders, that bring bigger impact, that are more aligned with your values, and that make you happier.  But there are very few that do all of that consistently.

It is kind of like investing - diversification is a better strategy and some things are up when others are down.  Ensure your role is meeting some of your most important career criteria.  Then find things outside of your role to meet the rest.

Invest time in your health, your relationships, your hobbies, and your home.  Feel good about what you do at work, and feel just as good about what you do outside of it.  Find a sense of accomplishment that isn't dependent on your boss.  Find purpose in your life, not just in your career.

I highly recommend listening to this podcast episode - LISTEN HERE.  

This isn't about slacking or backing down from a career you are invested in.  Quite the opposite - this is about making sure your entire life is sustainable so that you can continue to find work that works for you.  And in doing so - you will be able to achieve success, fulfillment, and actually enjoy this life you are working so hard for!

Cheers to good enough,
Sharon

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