The Toughest Jobs

Every job is tough. Think about your job. It has aspects to it that are tough – aspects that take willpower and strength to power through. Toughness is both a mental and a physical thing, but tough means different things to different people. Tough jobs create challenges that only an unbreakable determination can overcome.

Tough is a hard word to define when it comes to the job. Merriam-Webster.com defines tough as an adjective that means “difficult to accomplish, resolve, endure, or deal with.” This can apply to both mental and physical toughness. Being tough means that during times of high stress you can stay focused and determined.

Think about your job. What’s tough about it? Waking up early? Dealing with annoying co-workers? Keeping up with orders? Staying focused? Not eating too many snacks? Sealing big business deals? Running out of coffee? Missing your kid’s soccer game? Skipping lunch to write another memo? Solving a finance problem? Unjamming the copier? Not being able to see a window from your cubicle? We all have issues that we consider tough. It all depends on our definition.

When was the last time you said, “That’s tough,” to someone? Consider these jobs…Think about the bike messenger who peddles full speed through dangerous city streets to find a building he doesn’t know where is and deliver a package that needed to be there ten minutes ago. That’s tough. What about the rodeo clown who can’t distract the bull from goring the cowboy and when he finally does he’s charged by a two-ton angry beast? That’s tough. What about the fruit picker who climbs teetering ladders in the blazing sun to pick apples for 10 hours a day? That’s tough. What about the palm reader whose client is basing their entire existence on the crystal ball’s accuracy and what the palm reader says? That’s tough. Or what about the bomb technician trying to defuse a bomb in a crowded subway station? That’s tough.

Tough jobs are everywhere. People push the limits all the time. Think about the struggles that people have to overcome – team sports mascots entertaining fans, mercenaries going to battle, trail builders wandering alone in the wilderness, loggers felling massive trees, cave rescuers searching for lost spelunkers, truckers driving cross country, or adventure filmers trying to get the perfect shot. Anything that involves a challenge to accomplish a goal is tough.

Anyone can say that his or her job is tough. But it’s all relative. How can you determine if a job is tough? What if you didn’t do anything that was remotely challenging? You could just sit back and do what you wanted. If something was too difficult, you just moved on to other things. Life would be nice. Now what if everyone did that?

Life would be a disaster! Tough jobs are what makes the world tick. Where would the world be without tough jobs like 911 operators staying cool under stress, bounty hunters keeping criminals off the street, tree planters planting trees in the middle of the wilderness, car mechanics solving our automobile’s problems, highway flaggers standing outdoors all day directing traffic, professional hackers staying one step ahead of cybercriminals, movers carrying heavy sofas, or astronauts repairing the world’s satellites? Toughness is crucial for life as we know it.

Our world needs tough jobs and even tougher people to accomplish them. If you consider yourself a determined, strong, unbreakable, stubborn, survivor maybe you should consider applying for a tough job. They are out there for strong-minded warriors who want to make a difference.

Being tough is a frame of mind. It’s a lifestyle. It’s the ability to overcome. It’s the job of pushing your comfort zone and taking on some risk. Tough jobs push both your physical and mental limits. They help define you as a person.

Meeting deadlines, putting your life on the line, dealing with annoying customers, struggling through adverse weather, protecting your community, solving people’s problems, having people rely on you, locating a lost person, or creating a new solution – these things make you tough. Getting the job done…that’s tough.