No one wants the “grunt work”, but that’s the work that we all need.
“I don’t like work – no man does – but I like what is in the work, the ability to find yourself.” ~Joseph Conrad from Ego is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday.
Work is tough sometimes. It’s not always exactly what you want to be doing. I don’t think anyone wants to deal with rude people, clean a kitchen for 3 hours, make 100 phone calls a day, etc. No one wants these things, but each can teach us more about ourselves.
If we want to improve and discover who we are versus who we want to be, we need work. These jobs and tasks show us what we’re capable of, what we’re good at, and also what needs work. The menial can show you your level of patience, your attention to detail, ability to analyze and adapt, and much more. If you’re struggling with something, work can bring it to the forefront of your attention.
You have to be able to notice and accept the traits hard work presents. Work will show you where you excel and where you can improve. It’s important to be humble with your talents, never cocky, but also open to admitting you have flaws. There’s nothing wrong with having flaws, but there is a problem with not doing anything about them.
So with whatever “grunt work” you’re committing time to, use it to find yourself. It may not be easy or ideal, but it’s not below you. Work is necessary and will show you a lot about who you are, what you enjoy, what you don’t, and where you can improve. Don’t ignore it. Do the work to the best of your ability and continue improving along the way.
February 18, 2023
