The majority of life lessons I learned from being a summer janitor usually stemmed from deep thinking while being completely bored at work. As a result, I could really focus on what’s important and what life is really all about. Sure, work may be boring at the time, but the employee can always get something out of it. It’s all about realizing those lessons and making sure they stick throughout life’s ups and downs.
1. It’s always important to have goals to keep looking forward.
Always have goals because that's what makes life interesting. If no one had goals, where is the 'end' excitement of achieving anything? Even at work, have a goal, because it helps you feel like a lot got accomplished in the day. Not only do those goals make life interesting, they make life full of achievements and personal satisfaction.
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2. "R-E-S-P-E-C-T."
People always say that it’s important to respect your elders, but in reality, respect everyone. Even if they’re wrong, just go with it. They’re either your elders or are too nice to correct. If you aren't respectful, don’t expect to keep a job too long.
3. Communication is, and will always will be, an important key to success.
No matter what job you have, communication is always an imperative step toward great work and satisfaction, not just the workplace, but with anything you do that involves communication. That's why people take speech communication classes because it builds up confidence and stability with communication.
4. Be kind, always.
Even if you don’t exactly get along with someone, being kind is a factor that influences success in any job. This is one of the most important life lessons because it helps with how respected and trusted a person is in the workplace. For being a janitor, it’s important to be kind and respectful because then you are a trustworthy employee and are trusted with more tasks that others may not be able to do.
5. Do what you’re supposed to do.
Even if you don’t like what you’re doing, it is temporary and it’s always important to do your best work. Even if you don’t like doing it, it benefits someone else in the end who will be thankful for the time that was put in.
6. Be grateful for the little things in life.
These little things may be some of the best things that make the biggest difference in life. Even if they aren't apparent now, they will be. Be thankful for memories, moments, relationships, family, friends, jobs, etc. because they're all worth being thankful for in some unique way.
7. Do not overthink anything.
Just do it and see the outcome. Nobody really even benefits from overthinking. Take it from the queen of overthinking everything. It will all work out in the end, and you’re not helping anyone if you overthink every little thing you do.
8. Don’t ever be afraid to ask questions.
Don’t know how to do something? Ask. It’s better to ask and not know than not ask and end up doing something completely wrong.
It’s amazing how much experience you gain by doing a job, even being a janitor. No matter what you do in life, there are always lessons that you can learn every day. These lessons help you learn and grow through life no matter what you end up doing. Yeah, cleaning toilets may not seem like a luxurious job, but it does pay off in the end, dirty water and all. Always, be happy with what you do in your lifetime because the lessons you learn now will definitely pay off both in the present and in the future.
