There are many ways to view work. When you were growing up the adults probably told you to find a job doing something you enjoy. Then you had to pay bills, and get a “real” job. Or were these two the same thing?
Break From Home
For some people, mostly parents, work is really a place they go to get a break from their home life. The chaos of the kids running around, the tired spouse, the toilet that needs fixed. Going to work is a nice little distraction from all those other pressures life puts you under.
The cares of the job in many ways are less taxing than family life. The your responsibilities are more narrow and more clearly defined. The problems you encounter likely have already been solved by somebody else, and you just need to Google the answer.
Just a Paycheck
Of course, one of the most common views of a job is just a way to get a paycheck. The job itself holds no excitement. You only show up because they keep paying you. Perhaps you expend as little energy as possible, just enough to not get fired. Make it look like you are useful, or at least more useful than that guy.
Life’s Work
On the opposite side of things, there are also those who are extremely passionate about their work, and put nearly all of their life into it. They find energy in their work. They have grand visions of where they want to go, and where they want their business to go. These are the people that will also get you excited about the work, because their own excitement just overflows.
Influence Your ToDo List
One interesting view that I’ve come across is that an employer pays you for the ability to influence your ToDo list. I like this view, because it elevates you. Even if you are not super excited about your job, this view still gives you a sense of responsibility and control. While in reality the influence on your ToDo list may be pretty strict, the view is really just to influence it. Your employer can ask you to put things on your list, and you can choose which ones to work on.
It makes the time feel more like your own time.