I don’t love my job! 👀 Jay’s SCOOP | Ep. 375 - Do This, NOT That: Marketing Tips with Jay Schwedelson

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Podcast Summary: "Do This, NOT That: Marketing Tips with Jay Schwedelson l Presented By Marigold"

Episode: I Don’t Love My Job! 👀 Jay’s SCOOP | Ep. 375
Release Date: July 11, 2025

In this thought-provoking episode of "Do This, NOT That," host Jay Schwedelson delves into the pervasive myth that individuals must love their jobs to achieve career satisfaction and success. Challenging conventional wisdom, Jay offers a refreshing perspective on job fulfillment, backed by psychological research and personal anecdotes.

Challenging the 'Love Your Job' Myth

Jay opens the discussion by addressing a common misconception in today's professional landscape: the expectation that everyone should love their jobs. He shares his personal stance, stating unequivocally, “I do not love my job. And by the way, that is more than okay” (00:50). This admission serves as a foundation for dismantling the societal pressure to always be passionate about one's work.

The Passion Hypothesis and Its Pitfalls

Referencing Cal Newport's seminal work, "So Good They Can't Ignore You," Jay critiques the "passion hypothesis"—the idea that success stems from following one's pre-existing passions. He explains Newport's argument that this mindset can be detrimental, as it often overlooks the fact that most people do not have predefined passions waiting to be discovered. Jay emphasizes, “...telling someone to follow their passion is dangerous. It assumes we all have pre-existing passions just waiting to be discovered.” (04:20)

Psychological Insights on Job Satisfaction

Jay introduces findings from a study by the Psychological Science journal, highlighting that individuals who prioritize passion in their careers are more likely to quit when faced with challenges. He asserts, “People who chase passion often quit faster when things get hard because they expect loving it to mean it's always enjoyable” (07:15). This insight underscores the unrealistic expectations that the passion-driven approach fosters.

Further reinforcing his argument, Jay cites psychologist Barry Schwartz's book "Why We Work," which posits that fulfillment in one's job doesn't necessarily stem from passion but from feeling appreciated, competent, challenged, and purposeful. Jay summarizes, “We don't need to love every aspect of our work, but if we feel we're doing something worthwhile, it gives us purpose.” (13:40)

Practical Advice on Achieving Job Satisfaction

Shifting from theory to practice, Jay offers actionable advice for listeners seeking job satisfaction without the pressure to love their roles:

Seek Fulfillment Over Passion: Focus on finding roles that provide a sense of purpose and align with personal values rather than chasing a predefined passion.
Evaluate Job Benefits: Consider whether your job offers the lifestyle you desire, such as financial stability and personal time, which contribute significantly to overall happiness.
Embrace Growth and Learning: Ensure your role allows for professional development and continuous learning, fostering a sense of competence and achievement.
Foster Positive Relationships: Value the people you work with, as a supportive and enjoyable work environment can greatly enhance job satisfaction.

Jay encapsulates this approach by advising listeners to “stop searching for this unicorn, stop searching for the dream job, because it's still a job. You want to have a job that you enjoy...” (16:10).

Addressing Common Misconceptions and Encouraging Realistic Expectations

Jay critically examines the societal narrative that equates job satisfaction with constant enjoyment and passion. He argues that this misconception can lead to unnecessary dissatisfaction and career instability. By advocating for a more balanced perspective—where fulfillment is derived from meaningful work and supportive environments rather than unrelenting passion—Jay encourages listeners to cultivate a sustainable and realistic approach to their careers.

Anecdotes and Real-Life Reflections

Towards the end of the episode, Jay shares a personal anecdote about his experiences at the gym, highlighting how even in unrelated areas of life, the quest for perfection or specific outcomes can lead to frustration. This story serves as a metaphor for his broader message about career satisfaction:

Gym Experiences: Jay describes his discomfort with certain gym-goers, illustrating how unrealistic standards and behaviors can detract from personal well-being. He reflects, “What is wrong with her? What's wrong with me? I have no idea. I just get annoyed.” (25:50)

This reflection reinforces his earlier points about the importance of managing expectations and finding contentment in realistic terms.

Conclusion

In "I Don’t Love My Job!", Jay Schwedelson effectively challenges the conventional wisdom surrounding job passion, offering a nuanced perspective that prioritizes fulfillment, purpose, and realistic expectations. By integrating psychological research with personal insights, Jay provides listeners with a balanced approach to achieving career satisfaction without the undue pressure to love every aspect of their work.

Notable Quotes:

“I do not love my job. And by the way, that is more than okay.” (00:50)
“Do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life. What trash, garbage, ridiculousness is that quote...” (03:10)
“People who chase passion often quit faster when things get hard because they expect loving it to mean it's always enjoyable.” (07:15)
“We don't need to love every aspect of our work, but if we feel we're doing something worthwhile, it gives us purpose.” (13:40)
“Stop searching for this unicorn, stop searching for the dream job, because it's still a job.” (16:10)

This episode is a must-listen for marketers and professionals alike who are grappling with career satisfaction and seeking a more grounded approach to their professional lives.

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[00:02]
A
Welcome to do this not that, the podcast for Marketers. Each episode is packed with quick tips. They're super short, and at the end we have some fun. Let's jump into it and thanks for being here. We are back for do this not that podcast presented by Marigold. And usually I do these episodes where I rattle off, here's something you put in your subject line. Here's a new way to get people to react to your social media post. But I want to talk about something a little bit different today because. Cause it's been coming up a lot on different calls and zooms I've been having, which is this idea of loving your job. Let me just cut to the chase and then I'll get into the details. I do not love my job. And by the way, that is more than okay. Why am I talking about this? Why does this matter? Because I think we've all been taken down a weird path with we're supposed to love our jobs. And it came up because I was on a bunch of calls this week, and on all these calls, at some point, somebody said, your job looks like so much fun. You look like you're always having the best time. I bet you love your job. I wish I could have the job that you have because you look like you really love it. And I don't know what to do because I don't love what I do. And I'm trying to figure out how to love something the way that you do. And this is all coming from this nonsense that's out there, okay, that we're all supposed to love our jobs. Now listen, if you do love your job, okay? And genuinely, you wake up like, I love my job, amazing, great, you're in the 1% of 1% of people, okay? But for everybody else, it is okay. Not only that, it's more than okay not to love your job. So you know that quote, the one that says, do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life. What trash, garbage, ridiculousness is that? That quote, by the way, has been attributed to everybody on the planet. All right? And I think it's bs. I really do. So there was this book written by this guy, Cal Newport. The book was called so good they can't ignore you. And he called this nonsense the passion hypothesis, that telling someone to follow their passion is dangerous. It assumes we all have pre existing passions just waiting to be discovered. And most people don't. I don't. I didn't. I didn't grow up every. Maybe when I was four I wanted to be like a fireman or something. But then after that, I didn't grow up being like, I really want to do this one thing. I didn't. I. I wanted to have enough money to put a roof over my head and be able to go out to dinner once in a while and all of that. But I didn't have a passion for whatever. And the data even backs it up. There's this study that was done by the psychological science, and it found that people who chase passion often quit faster when things get hard because they expect loving it to mean it's always enjoyable. And that's so true. You know, people that I know that have a passion for whatever, they then go and follow that passion. They get a job in that quote, unquote industry, oh, I love music. I'm going to work in the music industry. But then they find out it almost ruins their passion because work becomes work. You're sort of in the music industry, but you wind up doing the same zooms and garbage and spreadsheets and all the stuff that we all have to do. And just because you're sort of in that industry, okay, you're like, well, it's my passion. No, you're passionate about that thing. Okay, what's important. And listen, you may listen to this. Like, this guy Jay's full of garbage. Who is he to tell me I shouldn't love my job? Love your job. It's amazing. But this is for everybody else to know. Most, almost everybody, doesn't love their job. I don't love my job. I don't. Now, it's important, though, to feel fulfilled. Do you feel appreciated? Do you feel competent? Do you feel challenged? Do you feel like you are learning something? Are you helping maybe people in some way? Right? This matters. So there was this psychologist, Barry Schwartz, and he wrote this book that says why we work. And what he said was, we don't need to love every aspect of our work, but if we feel we're doing something worthwhile, it gets. Gives us purpose. And that's it. That is the thing. And, you know, you have to almost stop searching for this unicorn, stop searching for the dream job, because it's still a job. You want to have a job that you enjoy. You enjoy the people that you're around, that you're growing, that you're getting better at it, that you might be good at it. And for me, the number one thing for me is, does it give me the lifestyle I want? Does it allow me to go out to dinner once in a while? Does it allow me to do whatever I want to do? And if it does, and maybe if I'm helping people, maybe if I am passionate about doing it, not that I'm just passionate about the job, then great. That's a great fit for me. That means I feel good about that. So I think this idea that we're all out there, you have to love your job, I think it hurts people. I think it holds us back. I think it makes us feel. Feel that we're not on the right path. I must be in the wrong industry. I must be at the wrong company. I really need to go back to square one and find the thing that I love. Because people love their jobs. No, if you're miserable and you hate everything. Yeah. You gotta shake it all up, okay? There's a big gap between loving and hating, all right? But if you like what you do, you feel energized by what you do. It's giving you the life that you want. You are challenged, you're learning. There's opportunity there. You like the people around you. You have won. You have won the lottery. Because checking all those boxes is rare. Okay? So chasing the rarest of rare, that you love your job. I kind of think it's ridiculous. You just have to not hate your job. And you have to make sure, like they said in E Pray love, I love E Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. Eat, pray love. What did she say? You don't have to love your job. You have to not hate it and you have to not feel like it is killing your soul. That is the North Star. I totally agree. All right, before we get into what is always the absolute most ridiculous portion of this podcast, which is called, since you didn't ask, this podcast has a sponsor. I happen to love my sponsor though. See that? Look at. I flipped the script. Marigold, Emma by Marigold, is a sponsor of this thing. They're awesome. I use this email sending platform. Why don't you. You gotta try it out. And just for listeners of this show, okay. They've given us a 50% off for three month discount. If you're thinking about a new email sending platform, one that is not terrible, one that is awesome, all you gotta do is go to jschwettleson.com Emma jschwettelson.com Emma to check it out. All right, let's get into the ridiculous portion of this podcast. So I'll tell you something else I don't love doing. I don't love it, but I do it. I go to the gym before work. During the week, I go three days a week. On the weekend, I also go twice. I hate it. I'm the worst worker out in the world. I hate it. But I go. I've been doing this routine for years, but I have to say that there's a lot of people at the gym, especially in the morning, they're absolute weirdos and they do very, very strange things. And it's on my mind because it happened this morning and I don't know what to do. At first of all, who are the weird people? Who are the people? I can't stand. I. I'm at a gym where nobody is, like, you know, it's not like a Gold's Gym where everyone's, like, jacked or whatever. It was like, me, like, barely, you know, getting through here. And there are. This is one dude who flexes in the mirror in between every set as if he's about to go and try to win the Mr. Olympia contest. And I'm always looking at this guy. I feel like if I stare at him hard enough, maybe he'll stop. It is so embarrassing. I'm like, what are you doing? You look like a. A nerd. Then there's another person always staring at who brings this jug of water that it almost looks like one of those big plastic jug things that you put on top that you get it out of, like, out of machine. It's so big. I'm like, dude, are you going to be here for seven days? Are you worried that, like, I don't know, you're going to get trapped in here? I'm like, why do you own that thing? It's so weird. But the. The thing that's kind of the most disgusting, because I think everybody on earth is disgusting. It's like somebody will use, like, a bench or a machine or whatever, and then they'll get up and they won't have put a towel down, and they won't have, like, you know, wiped it down with a thingamabob or whatever, and they just move on their merry way. And I think that's gross. Like, what are you doing? You know what I mean? It's like, hey, be a human. Realize there are other humans here and don't be disgusting. You're all, like, sweaty and nasty and whatever. Come on. What is wrong with her? What's wrong with me? I have no idea. I just get annoyed. I get annoyed by everything. So this is my gym etiquette for everybody, in case you're wondering. And listen, I would really appreciate something if you could leave this thing a review. If you've never left a review or if you could follow the show, that would really be meaningful because it helps to circulate the show. And oddly, we're top 10 in the country right now in marketing out of 50,000 marketing podcasts. I have no idea how that happened, but you're awesome. So hopefully leave it a review. Hopefully. You do love your job and this was a meaningless episode and I appreciate you checking it out and keep it real. You did it. You made it to the end. Nice, but the party's not over. Subscribe to make sure you get the latest episode each week for more actionable tips and a little chaos from today's top marketer. And hook us up with a five star review if this wasn't the worst podcast of all time. Lastly, if you want access to the best virtual marketing events that are also 100% free, visit guruevents.com so you can hear from the world's top marketers like Daymond, John, Martha Stewart, and me. GuruEvents.com check it out.