The Last Day of a Job You Hate (Flashback)

This was the very first article I ever posted on this website (2011). Since we’re starting a new year, I thought it would be fitting to refresh and repost. 

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I must have been dreaming pretty hard because I had one of those situations where you hear a noise you think is part of your dream, but then realize it’s your alarm clock. That moment always sucked!

I woke up to a nice pool of my own drool; I got out of bed (reluctantly) and did my usual morning routine. The worst part being looking over and seeing my wife enjoying her sleep. I’m not going to lie, I was jealous.

I bet you’re wondering what my job was. I was a bread delivery driver that woke up at midnight to deliver bread to grocery stores. The job itself wasn’t bad, but the company and grocery stores were soul-sucking.

Every morning that I drove to this job I cringed, but halfway there I remembered a crucial detail: this was my last day!

There were more politics than Washington D.C. at this job, so going there was never fun, but not that day. As I walked into the door to our warehouse, I could smell the B.S. and drama, I looked over and saw the managers that had made my life hell for 12 years.

I thought about shaking their hand and saying, “Have a good life’ but something inside me wouldn’t let me do it. I knew deep down inside that if I was going to heal, I had to vent.

I walked right up to those managers and called them a pack of **** (I won’t repeat the words). I told them it was possible to do their job without having to treat their employees like crap. I flipped them off and spit at their feet. I could literally feel stress melting away.

I went to all the stores I had delivered to so many times before. I said goodbye to some amazing people who worked at the stores and told some horrible managers to eat rocks. I parked the truck at the end of the day relieved and excited.

For 12 years I lived in fear of the job, the customers, the stores, and management. That last day I got enough courage to end a terrible job properly.

What I just shared was the last day of a job that sucked the life out of me for 12 years. The truth is that it took years to heal and forget the hell I went through at the job.

The Washington Post tells us that 87% of Americans hate their job. If you’re reading this, chances are you are in a job you hate. If you are, I bet you resonate with the feelings I had that last day.

What can you do about? Our economy hasn’t fully recovered and everyday we hear of another large company letting thousands of people go. Job security is a thing of the past.

Despite this economy, and despite your circumstances, you have to get out of a job you hate. This job is affecting every area of your life and you’re bringing all that junk home with you. This job is keeping you from true happiness.

I wish I had all the answers, I wish I could tell you how to leave a job you hate tomorrow and thrive, but this isn’t a movie. I’m not going to sugar coat this for you, there’s enough of that going on already.

What I will say is if you’re willing to bust your butt, you can find or create work that you love. If you research your dream job or business, put a plan in place, and take action on that plan, you can get there.

It’s going to take time and more perseverance than you think is possible. It’s going to take making this transition through many failures, and a ton of negative voices. It’s going to take beating your doubt and fear, but you can do it.

I don’t know what the last day of a job you hate will be like, but I do know that day is possible. I could list example after example of ordinary, real life people who defied the odds.

Not only can you do this, you need to do this. Life is too short to live it miserably. Life is too short to spend 40 plus hours doing something you hate.

It’s been a few years since I left that job. I haven’t regretted that decision one single day. Money has been rough at times, and there has been stress, but not even close to the same kind.

I love what I do and I love the freedom I experience everyday. The journey was rough, and it took the death of my father to get here, but I’m happy. My family is happy. Life is good.

What will you do on the last day of a job you hate?

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2015 is here. This can be the year you publish a book or help the sales of an existing self-published book. I’m sharing how I’ve sold over 86,000 copies of my books, and Jimmy Burgess is sharing how he’s launched six #1 Amazon bestsellers. Registration for our class ends January 6th. Details here.

This week’s articles

5 Lies Entrepreneurs Need to Stop Believing

Entrepreneur Magazine

5 Reasons to Sell Everything and Move to Hawaii

The Huffington Post

5 Ways Your Work Could Be Affecting Your Life

The Good Men Project

Photo: Flickr/  Boris Lechaftois