Sometimes a Job is Just a Paycheck

There are times in our lives, say after the loss of a loved one or a health crisis, where our focus is rightly on family or somewhere else, and we aren’t putting our best into our work every day. We’re just showing up. It may be a temporary situation for a few months, or perhaps you took a survival job after a layoff and need to stay put for awhile to recover your equilibrium. Either way, you’re just working for the money right now. And that’s OK. But it’s OK only if you acknowledge it to yourself and accept what comes with it.

Our jobs can enrich our lives in many ways. We find satisfaction in achievement – we love getting things done, we make new friends (My dearest friends are people I met at work.), we enjoy learning something new, figuring something out, meeting a challenge and earning recognition. We get to do something we enjoy most days of the week. In return, we get paid a hopefully great salary that funds our home, our vacations, our family’s education and healthcare, and our eventual retirement.

Oftentimes we get a sense of identity from what we do for a living. “Tell me about yourself.” “Well, I’m a software engineer working for a startup video game company.” That introduction might tell you something about that person – interests, personality, willingness to work hard and take a risk. Our jobs can be a source of self-esteem and self-worth. When things are going well, we’re happy with ourselves and life in general. When things aren’t going so well (or when we screw up), our spirits take a nosedive.

What if you’re in a job that’s just a paycheck, but the paycheck is really big? My good friend, Dave, (who I met at work…) offers an additional perspective:

I don't know if this is true for necessarily everyone, but sometimes you get into a Survival Job and your natural reaction becomes defensive - to protect the paycheck - and when opportunities come along it gets harder and harder to make the jump. It's like quicksand. Alternatively, I've heard people use the term Golden Handcuffs. They hate their job, but they're tied into retention comp plans that they use as an excuse not to even consider anything else. That's not to say staying in a job because of long-term benefits isn't a valid decision - but allowing yourself to become a victim of it can make you miserable.

Amen.

If you’re in a job that’s just a paycheck or if you’ve temporarily checked out due to other priorities, don’t look for anything from your current job situation except to be paid. If you’re looking for a sense of achievement or self-esteem from a job you don’t love, you may come up empty. Big raises, promotions, getting assigned to the hot new project – those rewards go to people who commit and earn them. They don’t go to people who are just showing up. Well, OK, sometimes they go to other people who are just showing up, but doesn’t that piss you off?

If you’re in a job you hate but can’t give up because you can’t walk away from the money, your spirits and self confidence might be so low that you can’t even describe or imagine what a fabulous situation would look like. And that’s a tragedy.

Once you take an honest look in the mirror and own your decision, you can begin to separate getting a paycheck from expressing your best self. You can recognize and appreciate your current situation for what it is – a way to keep you afloat while you deal with other things. And hopefully one of those other things is starting the journey of figuring out how to get yourself on a different road - one that will take you someplace fabulous.