How to stop hating your job.

As I have been coaching people involved in the veterinary profession, I have noticed a common theme in many of their communications with me.  I hear things like, my job is too busy, the hours are too long, I can’t make enough money, and even the phrase - I hate my job.  I have also heard, “I feel trapped in this profession and don’t know how to feel better about my choice to go into veterinary medicine.”

Choice is the most interesting word when used in this context.  Many of us longed and worked for years just to gain a chance participate in this profession.  I begged my way into my first veterinary job with my now friend Dr. Morris.  I worked as a high schooler, cleaning kennels, walking dogs and assisting her and her technicians with their veterinary work.  I was in heaven.

You were probably once there too.  You chose to pursue your profession. I doubt that anyone forced you into it.  You were so focused on the fact that you wanted to do this work that you attended and paid for an expensive college degree.  You achieved your dream of becoming what you always wanted to be. 

What changed between the longing to work in this field and daily reality?

Thoughts. 

All the things that we say about the job being just too hard are merely thoughts that we have. If you tell yourself things like – I am not doing well, I am unhappy, clients don’t like me, and clients don’t care - you will create negative feelings about your life. 

Being a veterinarian is not my entire life.  I have a family, children, hobbies, and responsibilities outside of my work but being a veterinarian is a significant and wonderful part of my life. The challenges that I face daily, involving a variety of species and interesting scenarios, creates a challenging and fascinating career for me. I am grateful for the variety and newness of each day.

Is it easy to change your thoughts when you have so many that are negative?  Ah, No!  It is one of the most difficult things that you will ever do.  The work that you do to study and develop your mind is the most powerful and valuable work that you will do in your entire life.  If you examine your thoughts well, you will start to develop some sense of how your story has changed from one of loving your profession to being over it. 

Ask yourself some questions. What do you want? What are you looking for and why?  Once you have this list, just remember that they are all just thoughts that you have about your job.

It's about looking at how you interpret your thoughts about your job, and all of those things that have happened that you are using to define yourself.

I know that your journey may be extremely difficult because we all have many difficulties.  At the end of the day I am proud to be a veterinarian and I would rather be leading my veterinary life than any other life on earth.   

Work towards loving thoughts about your job and you will be truly proud of all of the amazing things that you do for your patients, clients and team.

Dr. Julie Cappel

"Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.”  -   Steve Jobs