Why 85% of Americans hate their jobs

Lessons from holding nuclear launch keys [Company Logo](=) Greetings EverydaySpy, We’re all trying to build something. Your big goals in life may differ from someone else’s. But we’re all looking to build a better future for ourselves and our families. The way we do this is through our jobs. Now here’s the thing that most people don’t realize when it comes to their job: The average person will spend 90,000 hours of their life at work. Kind of crazy, right? And I'm not just talking about career professionals. I'm talking about people you see around you every day. People wearing aprons; people dressed in business suits; nurses in scrubs; roadside workers in coveralls. Some are just starting their 90,000 hours and others are getting ready to finish. In 2005 I served as a nuclear missile officer for the US Air Force in Great Falls, Montana. Anyone who has served with ICBMs (Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles) will tell you that the job is hard. Whether you are in maintenance, transportation, or operations, every day you are dealing with a nuclear bomb. My job – along with 200 other junior officers living in Montana – was to sit underground with a nuclear launch key and await strike orders from the President. ICBM officers are the first-line of defense against any nuclear threat to the American people. We are the trigger of America's nuclear arsenal. The mission was great… But the job was terrible. The hours were long. The work was tedious and repetitive. The lifestyle was lonely. The men and women providing our 'nuclear umbrella' will spend a full year of their life living underground over the course of their career. A year without sunlight. A year without family. A year living in a small space with one other person that they didn't choose. Such is the sacrifice they make to defend a nation. You make sacrifices in your job, too. Americans spend more than 100 hours a year commuting to and from work. In a typical 30-year career, you will spend 3,000 unpaid hours – more than 4 solid months – sitting in the car driving to work. That’s a ton of unpaid dues. It’s time you could be spending with family, traveling, exercising… Or building something special. Every one of us works because we are building something; a career, a family, a business, a dream. It’s one thing we all have in common. We are builders. But here’s the problem: Despite the time we invest, the miles we travel, and the health we give up… 85% of Americans are unsatisfied with their job. Why are there so many people sacrificing so much for a job that means so little to them? Because somewhere along the line people stopped building and started craving. - Craving attention - Craving praise - Craving reward You need to focus on building something that’s important to you instead of working for stuff that’s not. I’m not telling you to quit a job you’re not happy at. But if you’re among the 85% unsatisfied with their job, [you can reframe your current situation](. You can begin building something different. Like social capital. Social capital is all about the relationships and trust you build with your coworkers. It can be anything as long it provides value to others. A favor, a compliment, your time, your skills, a willingness to listen. Most people don’t consider this. They’re too dissatisfied with their job to look at how they can build with it. By building social capital, you can create a more supportive and rewarding work environment. You’ll feel happier and more connected, even if your job isn’t perfect right now. Your [workplace turns into a laboratory for building new opportunities](. You’re no longer craving. You’re building. There’s no telling what might come out of it. Then you become part of the 15% of people who don’t hate going to work every morning. Godspeed, #EverydaySpy PS. Your job is what you make of it, not what it makes of you – and by learning to [use social capital in the workplace, you can totally transform your ability to get a raise, promotion, or higher-paying job altogether](. Follow #EverydaySpy Andrew Bustamante, Founder of EverydaySpy.com, is a former covert CIA Intelligence officer, decorated US Air Force Combat Veteran, and respected Fortune 500 senior advisor. Learn more from Andrew on his Podcast (The EverydaySpy Podcast) and by following @EverydaySpy on your favorite social media platform. [Read More]() [Unsubscribe]( EverydaySpy 411 Walnut St. #20309 Green Cove Springs, Florida 32043 United States