I look for ways to enjoy doing whatever it is I have to do, either fun things or work and study or chores. Just working at a job for the paycheck is dull and provides no protection against bad thoughts. But figuring out ways to enjoy or receive benefit from whatever it is one does, even repetitive or boring work helps keep me going.

A professional piano player has to practice a lot of scales before he gets good at playing real music but he looks forward to that music and knows the scales are helping him. First jobs or boring jobs still give experience at patience and helps foster the ability to do whatever needs doing, whether one likes it or not.

My therapist had me study and think about "disappointment" one week and it was surprising what I learned about myself. It's not so much the other people or things around me that disappoint me as much as my not being familiar with my expectations and where they come from. I was surprised that my biggest disappointment that week came from an expectation about someone else that was not even mine but something I'd learned and adopted from my stepmother without even knowing I had done for. It was totally unrealistic and not what I wanted! Once I identified it and what I actually wantedin that situation, I was not disappointed anymore.