09 March 2008

Life !== Job

If you can avoid it, don't ever work just for money. It'll suck out your soul, which isn't worth it in the long run.

If you can't avoid it, don't focus your life around work. Don't define yourself by your job. There's more to life than being a worker drone. Always keep in mind what (or who) you're really working for.

10 comments:

Random Michelle K said...

Don't forget that means leaving when your shift is through. If you have to come in early or work late, make sure it's a rare occurrence and that you're compensated for it.

Nathan said...

I guess I'm screwed.

My job has no clock. I'm more than happy to leave early, but I show up ridiculously early. I just can't stand having anyone decide where they belong before I'm there to point the way. I'd rather lose the sleep than have to show up and rearrange things.

I'm only compensated for OT if I work more than 16 hours. Otherwise, its a flat rate per day.

I love what I do and I love being able to say I'm a Location Manager. I still feel lucky anyone wants to hire me. (And I know I'm better at it than anyone else even if other people don't realize the truth.)

Anne C. said...

I think saying "I love what I do" kinda excludes you from most of this, Nathan. Unless you meant the good part of being screwed. ;)

Janiece said...

I love what I do, but I'm still strict with myself about setting boundaries between my personal and professional lives. Otherwide, my natural tendency to "be" my job would overwhelm.

Random Michelle K said...

Nathan,

It's good to love what you do, but if that means you don't see your SO or family for days at a time, most weeks of the month, that's a very bad thing.

It's good to love one's job, but not good to let it consume your life and destroy your relationships.

That's the kind of leaving on time I'm talking about. If you work four 16 hours days, and then are off our four days, that's different from working 16 hours days 28 days a month.

Yes?

Nathan said...

Yep, Michelle...lots of down time between projects. And it doesn't hurt that GF does the same thing, so she completely understands my schedule.

Anonymous said...

I had a talk with my new boss the other day. And after that talk I realized that it isn't the job I dislike. It's some of the people I have to deal with that makes my job so difficult. My boss totally agreed on that.

She has also made it possible for me to get support dealing with the conflicts. Which means that for first time in years I have someone that is on my side and can defend me.

My problem isn't that my work is boring. It really isn't. The problem is that I don't have tools for doing a good job. I've advanced from being an assistent on the office to become a manager telling the same staff what to do that only some years ago told me what to do. And I have had no training in how to be a good manager.

My life isn't work though. I have a family and hobbies.

Tom said...

I do have trouble setting boundaries, so I find my private life bleeding over into my job. :) (blogging at work)

But that's par for the course, because the 2 weeks (out of 4) that I'm on call (14x24), my job bleeds over into my private life.

I'm a computer geek, I have a good job for a computer geek, and I get a lot of satisfaction from my job. I don't really have that much of a private life (no GF or SO), but when I can put down the pager for a 12-hour stretch, it feels so good!

I do have regrets in life, but not about the job. To paraphrase, "Computers been berry, berry good, to me."

By the way, I'm noticing a little red line. Did you add a spell checker? Bravo!

Shawn Powers said...

I'm in the same boat as Rebelcat. I love my job (actually all of my jobs), but the "day job" at the schools sucks my soul away on a daily basis.

The actual work is rewarding, fulfilling, and challenging. I despise the people I work with, however. I abhor how twisted their view of reality has become. I cringe that these are the people teaching my children.

Ok, I'll stop now. I'm depressing myself.

Unknown said...

I have loved all of my different jobs (except my very first), and I have had absolutely no problems with boundaries.
Now I can set my very own schedule and be as reclusive or as gregarious as I please. Love that the very best!