The Musical Monday selection to start this week packs a punch!
The person is truly fortunate that has not thought at some point about saying you can "take this job and shove it.” What was once a workingman’s anthem now applies to positions all the way up the corporate ladder.
Outlaw country music legend, David Allan Coe was once offered a job as a fireman and rejected the idea out of hand. This was his inspiration to write a resounding factory workers’ theme song.
Johnny Paycheck had the perfect name and attitude to record the song. Released in 1977, “Take this Job and Shove It” spent 18 weeks on the Country Charts including two weeks at number one. A new catch phrase in the U.S. was born and the song inspired a movie in 1981 featuring both Coe and Paycheck.
“You better not try to stand in my way
'Cause I'm walkin' out the door
Take this job and shove it
I ain't working here no more”
~Johnny Paycheck, Take This Job and Shove It
Work stress is a very popular topic in my life coaching practice. A majority of my clients suffer negative health effects due to a lack of work/life balance. Having walked on this path, I understand the desire and apprehension to jump off the corporate track.
Leaving a corporate career for a more fulfilling lifestyle is a major life transition. It’s often easy to define what you don’t want to do next, but taking stock of all life’s opportunities can be overwhelming.
Working with a coach to explore new career possibilities helps to create a well-considered plan and reduce the chance that someone will be pushed to unexpectedly announce on a Tuesday “Take This Job and Shove It.”