Embrace the Grunt

I consider myself a grunt — and honestly, I think most of us are. I don’t mean that in a bad way. We’re the small businesses of the corporate world: millions of us quietly keeping corporate America from collapsing into a puddle of PowerPoints, broken promises, and “urgent” emails sent at 4:59 p.m.

I’ve never understood the people who talk about “career paths” like they’re planning a moon landing. For most of us, it’s simple: you have a job, you go do that job, because you have bills, you enjoy having electricity, and — tiny detail — you need to eat.

Very few of us are running major corporations or inventing the next world‑changing technology. (AI seems to be the latest thing trying to replace us, but hey, we’re still here and we still know where the coffee filters are.) We show up, we work, we learn just enough new stuff to stay relevant and employed. Meanwhile, society keeps asking, “So what are you doing with your career?” as if we’re all supposed to have a 40‑year master plan written in calligraphy and sealed with wax.

Let’s be honest: how many people actually map out a perfect path from high school to a specialized degree to a job where they make a dramatic, world‑shaking impact? Not many. And how many go to college for a degree they never even use? A whole lot. So much for the “career” myth. You graduate, you get a job, and you cross your fingers that you don’t hate it.

Now that I’m retired, not a day goes by that I don’t look back and think, “Holy shit, was I lucky.” At 20, my big dream was to drive the forklift at the local Coca‑Cola plant. Pure dumb luck landed me a job on the shipping dock at Digital Equipment Corporation — a company that doesn’t even exist anymore. From there, I somehow stumbled into their computer training program, built a career in technology, and put myself through college: psychology and business. And yes, I actually used those degrees… indirectly, but still.

Looking back, it wasn’t a grand plan. It wasn’t a carefully crafted career strategy. It was grit, timing, curiosity, and a whole lot of “well, let’s see what happens.”

I’ll admit it: I’m a little jealous of the people who had that whole “passion” thing figured out. I didn’t have passion — I had a timecard. But some folks? They were painting masterpieces at age six or writing code before they could tie their shoes. Meanwhile, I tried drawing, I tried playing guitar, and honestly… I sucked. I’m a grunt. Most of us are. Nothing wrong with that.

What is important is staying relevant. I didn’t have a passion, but I always found a niche — something useful, something needed. If I had to write some code, I would write some code. Not expert‑level, but good enough. Excel? I had some decent skills. I did what needed doing, and 40‑plus years later, that was enough.

I wasn’t special. I didn’t obsess over a “career.” I wanted to stay employed, take care of my family, and — most importantly — position myself to actually enjoy what I did. Trust me, chasing the dollar gets old fast. If the job sucks, no amount of money makes it better. No “career move” fixes misery.

At the end of the road, embrace the grunt. Find your lane and absolutely kill it for as long as you can. Then wave goodbye, walk off into the sunset, and find a passion. Mine turned out to be blogging, eating, and napping. Not necessarily in that order.

I hope you have a long, enjoyable ride in your job — wherever it takes you.

Please leave this field empty

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.