When you say you hate your job, what exactly do you hate about it?

"Ugh, I hate my job."
This is a feeling that everyone who works as an employee faces to some degree.

However, this phrase "I hate my job" is actually quite troublesome. This is because the dissatisfaction has become a large, vague lump, and it has become impossible to see what the specific problem is. You cannot find a solution while remaining in the grip of your emotions.

Today, I will try to break down and analyze this vague feeling of hating one's job.

While I was employed, I rarely felt that I wanted to quit because I hated the work itself, but when talking with friends, it seems that this is a rare pattern. So, as for the question, "If you didn't hate your job, why did you take early retirement?", I have recorded it in a past note, so please refer to it.

Why did you start a second life? What are the reasons for your decision to resign?

Now, to the main point. I will think about what people who hate their jobs actually hate. When I ask, "What do you hate about your job?", they list several elements they dislike, but I feel that it is not just one or two, but a mixture of several that leads to the overall judgment that "I hate my job."

Elements that make up "I hate my job"

Even if you say "I hate my job" in one breath, the content is completely different for each person. I will list some of the multiple elements that get mixed together.

I hate my boss or the interpersonal relationships
This is always at the top of the list of workplace worries. Stress from interpersonal relationships, such as an overbearing boss or uncooperative colleagues, is what drains your mind and body the most.

I hate the work itself (job content)
This is a state where the current job type does not suit you, you cannot feel a sense of purpose, or you cannot feel growth due to the repetition of monotonous tasks.

I hate the management or company policy
This is dissatisfaction arising from a gap between the organization's direction and your own values, such as not being able to empathize with the company's vision or the workplace being exhausted by profit-first principles.

I hate not being evaluated fairly
This is dissatisfaction where your desire for approval and fairness are not met, such as when your salary or position does not reflect your achievements, or when evaluation criteria are opaque and decided by a boss's personal preferences.

I hate the commute
The daily crowded trains or long travel times. This is not just physical fatigue, but is directly linked to the feeling that your precious time is being stolen.

I hate that the salary is not commensurate
The compensation is overwhelmingly low compared to the amount of work or the weight of responsibility. This is a serious problem related to the foundation of your life.

I hate that remote work is not allowed or I cannot take paid leave
This is an environment without flexibility in how you work. It is the dissatisfaction of being too tied to the company when you want to cherish time with your family or time for yourself.

I wrote down a few things while remembering conversations with my friends. I think the first step is to identify where your "hate" lies. There must be many people who fall into multiple categories.

Apply weighting and clarify priorities

Once you have broken it down, the next thing you should do is apply weighting. There are not many perfect workplaces where you can completely eliminate all dissatisfaction. That is precisely why you need to select what you absolutely cannot compromise on and what you can compromise on. In other words, you need to set priorities.

And it is also important to clarify what you can control and change yourself, and what you cannot.

For example, if the weight of "I hate that the salary is not commensurate" is large. If you have a low salary but the department manager position has a high income, it is something you can control yourself, so get promoted. But if the department manager position has an annual income of less than 10 million yen, even if you get promoted, you will still have a low salary, and since it is something you cannot do anything about yourself, you should change jobs quickly.

For example, if you say, 'I like the work itself and I can work remotely, but I absolutely cannot stand my current manager.' In other words, if the burden of interpersonal relationships is at its maximum, you should request a department transfer or a career change within the company. This is something you can control.

For example, if you say, 'My relationships are good and the pay is decent, but I have no interest in the work content and it would be painful to do this for the rest of my life.' In other words, if the burden of the work content is at its maximum, you should also request a department transfer or a career change within the company; if that doesn't work, then it's time to change jobs immediately.

For example, if the burden of earning a living is at its maximum, such as saying, 'I hate everything about it, but it's okay because I get paid.' I feel that a large percentage of people are like this. Clearly state that you are doing it for the money, give up on other factors, and just do your best at the job.

By visualizing your priorities in this way, the next action you should take will naturally become clear. Should you move to an environment where your non-negotiables are met, or should you find a compromise and continue working in your current environment?

I believe this selection process is the judgment criterion for deciding whether to 'stay at your current company,' 'change jobs,' or 'take the plunge and become independent.'

Things you can change and things you cannot change yourself

This is the most important criterion for making a decision. Is that dissatisfaction something that can be changed through your own efforts?

For example, if the dissatisfaction stems from how work is handled or a lack of your own skills, there is a possibility that things could improve through your own efforts and ingenuity. It would be worth staying at your current company and trying to resolve it.

However, most things are beyond the power of a single employee to change.

The personality of your boss or colleagues, the policies of the management team, the corporate culture, the company's salary structure and evaluation system, and the way of working as a company system, such as whether remote work is allowed.

In many cases, these are things you cannot change yourself. Trying to change other people's hearts or company systems consumes a huge amount of energy and often goes unrewarded.

If your non-negotiable, high-priority dissatisfaction falls into the category of things you cannot change yourself, I believe there is a very high possibility that changing your working environment—that is, changing jobs or becoming independent—will improve the situation. I view changing your environment not as running away, but as a strategic choice to enrich your life.

Having said that

Having said that, people who are still complaining about being worried about what others will think or worrying about the disadvantages when making that decision are people who have not been able to set their priorities.

When you make a choice, it is often a trade-off. You apply the burden to make that clear. I think it is easier to choose a path if you assume that there is no choice where everything goes perfectly.

To gain one thing, you must give up another.

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