How to Stay Motivated When You Hate Your Job

Customer service for a company that sells… uh… industrial widgets? I still don’t know what a widget is. But I answer 87 calls a day from people who yell about “late shipments” and “wrong parts” and once, I swear, a guy threatened to “find me.”

Last Tuesday, I hung up on a customer, walked to the freezer in the break room, and just… stood there. For seven minutes. Staring at someone’s Lean Cuisine like it held the secrets to the universe. My manager found me, asked if I was okay. I said, “Yeah, just… chilling.” She didn’t laugh. I didn’t either.

How to Stay Motivated When You Hate Your Job: The Lies I Tell Myself

I’ve got a system. It’s messy, it’s stupid, but it’s mine. Here’s what I do to stay motivated when I hate my job:

• The “Two Good Things” Rule. Before I leave the house, I force myself to name two things that won’t suck today. “The coffee’s free.” “I wore matching socks.” It’s dumb, but it stops me from driving into a cornfield.
• The Fake Commute. I park three blocks away and walk. Gives me 8 minutes to listen to true crime podcasts and pretend I’m not walking into my personal hell.
• The “Karen Counter.” Every time a customer named Karen calls, I mark it on a sticky note. At 10 Karens, I get to eat a fun-size Snickers. I’m averaging 6 Karens a day. My blood sugar’s thrilled.

### The Day I Screamed in the Parking Garage

I once yelled “I QUIT!” so loud in the echo-y parking garage that a security guard came running. I was holding a salad I didn’t want, ranch dripping down my wrist, tears mixing with the dressing. He asked if I was okay. I said, “Define okay.” He gave me a tissue. I went back inside. Clocked in. Ate the salad. It was wilted.

How to Stay Motivated When You Hate Your Job Without Selling Your Soul

I started a “win jar.” It’s a Mason jar I stole from my mom’s basement. Every day I survive, I write something on a scrap of paper and toss it in. “Didn’t cry until 2 PM.” “Ate lunch without scrolling Indeed.” “Didn’t tell Dave in IT to shove his ‘ticket resolved’ email.” It’s half full. I shake it sometimes. Sounds like hope. Or marbles.

I also lie to myself beautifully. “This is temporary.” “I’m building character.” “At least I’m not the guy who unclogs the toilets.” (Sorry, Steve.)

### That Time I Applied for My Dream Job Drunk

11:47 PM. Three glasses of boxed wine. I applied to be a writer for a travel blog. My cover letter said, “I’ve never left Ohio but I once Googled ‘Bali’ and it looked nice.” They ghosted me. Shocker.

How to Stay Motivated When You Hate Your Job: The Escape Plan

I have a Google Doc called “Operation F*ck This.” It’s 14 pages. Page 1: “Save $50/week.” Page 3: “Learn to code???” Page 7: “Buy van. Live in van. Name van ‘Freedom.’” Page 12: “What if I just… disappear?” I add to it during conference calls. My camera’s off. My soul’s off.

I found this Forbes article on side hustles and bookmarked it. Then I started selling my old concert tees on Depop. Made $87. Bought a candle that smells like “ocean escape.” It smells like Febreeze and lies.

### The Meltdown That Broke Me (But Also Fixed Me)

Last week, the system crashed. 400 tickets in the queue. My headset died mid-call. I just… unplugged everything. Walked out. Sat on the curb. Ate a gas station hot dog. Cried into the bun. A coworker sat next to me. Didn’t say anything. Just handed me a napkin. I went back in. Finished the day.

Okay, I’m Done Rambling (For Now)

So yeah—how to stay motivated when you hate your job? You don’t. Not always. Some days you just exist. You eat the stale Pop-Tart. cream in parking garages. write “I QUIT” in the fog on your windshield and then erase it with your sleeve. save $87.

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