Many American employees have a love/hate relationship with their job. Some surveys have found that almost half of the work force doesn't like their job, yet chooses not to leave. Millions of people call in sick each workday just to get a reprieve from a job they hate. They're not entirely lying. Prolonged stress can profoundly affect your emotional and physical health. But instead of dwelling on such bleak statistics, consider an alternative – find ways to get as much fulfillment as possible from your current job while positioning yourself for better employment in the future.

Self-help authors who advise readers to “follow their bliss” to some ideal working life just make most of their readers even more depressed. Let's be realistic: Most people can't just get up and quit their job, no matter how much they hate it.

But if you take a step back, consider your skills and talents, examine a few specific aspects of your current job, and then set out to improve those areas, you can achieve much greater satisfaction.

This is not as easy as it might sound. Many of us define ourselves by our jobs – we are what we do – and we often find it difficult to be objective about our own skills and abilities.

However, if you have at least an idea of what you enjoy doing at work, and if you have built your personal support team as I have discussed in previous columns, you are already well-prepared to make your job a lot more bearable.

Do what you love… last.

Most of us have some aspect of our job that we are drawn to, that we always seem to do first. It is a different aspect for each of us, but whatever it is, it seems to come almost naturally. Congratulations! If you've identified this, you've uncovered your talent.

We all possess certain skills and talents. The difference is that you learn skills, but you are born with talent. Your talent might be social (putting people at ease, getting consensus for ideas, leading groups, communicating), intellectual (simplifying complex ideas, analyzing information, ensuring accuracy), artistic (writing, drawing, taking photos, arranging displays) or any of dozens of other areas.

In your job, you will inevitably be drawn to tasks and assignments that match your talent. You will always enjoy doing the things that come naturally more than performing the functions at which you are skilled, even if you are quite successful at those skills.

But when you postpone your other responsibilities so you can do the things you enjoy first, you eventually find yourself facing a long list of tasks that don't really interest you.

The answer is to not only identify which job functions stimulate your natural interests, but also to set aside specific projects and scheduled time every day to use those talents. Approaching your work this way breaks up the tasks you don't like with activities you love. And if you save a little bit for the end of your day whenever you can, you can go home with personal satisfaction.

Use your support team. This is one of the many areas where a personal support team is vital for achieving a Balance in Life. Align yourself with colleagues who stimulate your professional creativity, bring laughter into your day, challenge your curiosity, shore up your political frailties, and know when you need a boost to your ego or honest and sincere criticism.

As part of a team you can share, swap or delegate some of the work you do not enjoy. Remember, we each have different talents, so something that seems basic, fundamental and boring to you might be exciting, challenging and stimulating to one of your peers.

Find your motivation and adjust your attitude. The most effective managers understand that they need not only the best people but also the best people in their most appropriate roles. Unfortunately, if you have a job you do not enjoy, you might also have a manager who does not understand the problem. So how do you motivate yourself?

Try establishing three or four goals tied to values that are specifically important to you, such as job satisfaction, working with people you enjoy and respect, being challenged or feeling like you are able to make a difference. Make your job creative, bring in a little humor and fun, and offer to pick up projects that you find interesting.

Assessing yourself is a lifelong process. By investing a little extra time and effort to identify the areas that give you the greatest satisfaction, you'll spend less time dwelling on the negative aspects of your current job, make each working day a lot more enjoyable, and even set yourself on the path to find your ideal career.

Working Smart + Living Your Values = Balance in Life