Do I have to....
Go back to work tomorrow? After such a great weekend, I'm working up the strength to go back to work tomorrow. I need to remind myself "I work for the money. So I can have nice things, go to nice places, etc..." It's not about the job anymore. I used to really love the job but now it's just something to pay the bills. My life, family, and friends are more important. I need to remember this, take a step or 2 back, and NOT care so much about the politics & BS. Let them say what they will. I just need to show up & do my job.Labels: frustrations, jobs, Time to get on with my life
What's been going on?
Sorry I haven't posted recently. Here's what's been going on...Work: Hasn't let up. It's kept me running around like a chicken without a head. They have no idea what they want but they want it ASAP, yesterday if not sooner. And they don't tell me what they need and then get on conference calls and complain!?!? How can I help you when you don't let me know your needs? I've been trying to remember to do my breathing exercises to keep my stress at a manageable level. (It's helped a little) I've been walking HRH after work. That's helped too.Miata: Finally all fixed up. New clutch & glove box lock. I'm tops down again!! Oh I forgot to mention the new glove box latch was needed because someone tried to break into the Miata when we went up to Morraine State Park a while back. They stole a pair of $5 sunglasses from the center console and broke the lock on the glove box. You know whoever they are are really hard up when they need to steal $5 sunglasses. I hope they enjoy the cheap sunglasses as much as I did. I'm glad they didn't get into the glove box though since I had a 12 CD holder in there...HC: She's doing well. Busy with work and getting sporadic painting jobs here & there. HRH: Unsatisfied with the amount of food & toys his peeps give him. Always planning his next escape attempt in search of the land of food-&-toys-a-plenty.The Daddy-o: Doing well. He's been going on his daily walks. He's in good spirits. He had me took into a trip to Montreal for him last week. (I've stopped telling him it's cheaper if you plan your trip at least 14 days in advance.) It's his money and he can spend it however he chooses. I'm not used to him being this way. All my life he's been very frugal with money. So to have him pass up the opportunity to save some money for the same service/item is strange to me. But I guess it does add to the spontaneity AND besides he's not getting any younger so you never know...Me: Still frazzled & burned out. I need to get motivated to find my "What's next?" HC's been very supportive but I need to get motivated to read my "What Color is your Parachute" book and do the exercises. Most days I'm so tired at the end of the work day all I want to do is go home & hide. Thinking is T-H-E L-A-S-T thing I want to do. But I need to do it. I'll know when the time is right. I've noticed in my life things do happen for a reason. If I can see & learn the lesson I'm supposed to, I'll move on to the next phase/step in my life. Oh yeah. It was my birthday last Tuesday. HC took me to Whisper's Pub for dinner. The food, service, and atmospere were very nice. We'll be going back!Kids: We're back to going back & forth. Concerns about risks to HC's health. Concerns about having the time, energy, and money to raise a child. Concerns about how it will change our lives. We like our life together now. What's a child going to do to the mix?!?! Concerns about how good a parent I'd be. After all, I'm not the most patient person....Labels: Birthday, Cars, ChowderHead 101, Colored Parachutes, Family, frustrations, HC, HRH, jobs, Miata, Parents, Time to get on with my life, Update
The velvet cage
A friend of mine used this analogy to describe the trap you get in with Corporate America.
They make it comfortable for you to stay even though you may be unhappy. All the benefits and amenities a big company can afford to give to its employees. Your job/career at the company is a cage. A velvet lined cage but a cage none the less. And the longer you stay the harder it is to leave because you are that much closer to retirement or getting that extra week of vacation or vested in your pension plan, etc…
The benefits and amenities are a factor that make it tough to leave a job once you’ve been there a while. It’s definitely something I have to consider before I make any move. Labels: Colored Parachutes, frustrations, jobs, Time to get on with my life
Hurry up aaannndddd wait
Sorry I haven't posted much recently. WORK has been a bitch and I had browser problems on the home PC. Computers. I hate them!!!You know the phrase "Hurry up and wait"? Well I did the hurry up part for this project a few months ago. Then there was the wait part. And now we're back to the hurry up part! So I've been hurrying. And hurrying. And hurrying. Like I said previously, I've been getting progressively burnt out/restless the past few years and this project isn't helping. All I know is everything happens for a reason. And maybe this is what I needed to show me it's time to move on. More about this in another post. I'm going to run some errands today. 1 of which is to pick-up that "What color is your parachute" book. Labels: Colored Parachutes, frustrations, jobs, Time to get on with my life
Out of the Monkey Trap
Yes. I had a tough week at work. But even without this week I’ve been getting burned out with my job over the past couple of years. Usually it’s just a temporary funk I get into but underneath it all I know this isn’t what I want to do the rest of my life. I make a good living and we're comfortable so why rock the boat? I haven’t acted because I didn’t know what I want to do next.
I’ve ridden out the past couple of job related funks. But this time it feels different. I feel a little readier to truly think about & explore my options. Part of it is, I don’t see corporate life changing for the better. This crappy project is not a 1-time anomaly. The projects in the future will be following this mold. I see them all becoming less thought out, hurried, and poorly executed. (That kind of stuff eats at me like nobody’s business!!)
So it’s time to move on. But what to do? What to do? What’s next?
HC and I were talking about this at breakfast Saturday morning. She’s very supportive of the idea of me finding what I want to do next. What I love to do. The whole “Do what you love the money will follow” philosophy.
Maybe it’s time for me to get out of my comfort zone. Time to let go of corporate America. Get out of the Monkey trap by letting go of the peanuts and try something else.
So now the hard part is on me. To sit down and really think about what I want to do next.
Hummmm..
I like to travel. I like meeting new people. Going to new places. Gaining new experiences. New stories to tell.
Yes, I’ve always liked to travel and going places on someone else’s expense has always been a plus. (That’s part of the reason I like my current job.) Buuut I didn’t know how to translate this interest into a viable job. Aaannnd I’m not about to make any kind of move until I know what’s next.
So how about a job as a travel agent? They get to go places on someone else’s expense. You’ve got to see the places and hotels before you can recommend them. I think I’ve got some good qualifications: willing to travel, speak more than 1 language, know phrases from several languages, been to Asia, Europe, Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean. I have no idea what all I have to do to become 1 but I need to start looking.
Or how about a job that involves tasting food & wine? I think I’ve got a reasonably refined palate. I'll need to work on my writing skills but I think my passion for food & drink are a strength. Again, no idea what’s involved in getting a job doing this sort of work but research is in order.
No matter what, I’m getting restless and it may be time to stop ignoring these feelings.Labels: frustrations, Time to get on with my life
