I’m struggling to define what I want out of my career. And where my career even is.
I’ve written before about how I miss being a subject matter expert. I have days when I wish for a job that will challenge me again. It makes me feel, on the surface, ungrateful for my job because while it can be challenging, it’s not intellectually challenging.
The thing is, my day job fulfills a lot for me right now too. I finally have a secure income after SO MANY years of contract work. Now that I’m tonsil-free I can stop using my rec leave for sick days because I’m out of sick days and actually maybe one day like plan a holiday? Holidays are things people take, right?
It’s Good Enough For Me Right Now
I can get loans easily. It made it easy for me to buy a new car. I’m working away at my 2018 goal of paying off some debt. I have flexibility in my start and end times. I have TOIL. I get to work mostly alone. (For now.)
It ticks nearly every box. It would be really, really hard to find a job that ticks this many boxes.
Of course, none of this is forever. I know a permanent job isn’t really all that permanent these days. Entire jobs become redundant. Bosses change, and with that could change my flexibility. And this may very much be coming at me soon in my day job, thanks to restructures.
I guess I need to learn patience. That no, my job isn’t intellectually stimulating. But it ticks 98% of boxes that I need and want in my life right now.
So why am I looking at the 2% that it doesn’t tick? Is it that I value a lack of commute and intellectual stimulation more than I value flexibility and security? Maybe, but I don’t function well under financial stress or micromanagers, so I don’t think that is it.
I can logically accept that I have a good enough job. But somewhere that’s not enough. Maybe I need to learn patience. Maybe it’s not enough, but I’m burying it down deep.
This concept of “good enough” may be particularly relevant to a shiny person like me. I liked this article saying that maybe what people like me need in life is the bills paid via a job and the rest of our fulfillment from our interests. Maybe that is good. Maybe that’s where that 2% missing needs to be found. Maybe I’ll find that with my coaching. I hope so.
How do you feel about your job (or freelance work, or whatever you do)? Does it tick all the boxes? Do you believe it’s possible for one thing to tick all the boxes?
I think it’s almost impossible to cover all your bases with work and like most things in life even though most of it as good, it’s too easy to focus on the bits that are left lacking. It’s human nature, I think. I have no tips except to keep focusing on the things you enjoy at your job so you don’t have time to think about the less savoury elements 🙂
I do like the busier times at work the best, as the days go fast and I feel like I get to tick things off. It’s the slower things I need to change that challenge my patience!
Finding the perfect balance is so hard! I am predominantly in network marketing these days. So far from my psych background and overall, I love it, but it’s not always wonderful. Not having eggs all in one basket is something I know well! #IBOT
I am hoping that if I can start freelancing again, it’ll help fill that 2% ‘gap’.
It’s hard to find the perfect job that fulfills everything (if such a thing exists), which is why it’s so good to find something meaningful outside of work. I’ve worked 3 or 4 days a week through most of my working life, which has freed me up to do other things, like study, church ministry or blogging. The only thing is, it means making do with less money. I think it’s worth it for me though.
I’d love to only work 3 or 4 days per week. I think it would suit me really well. But as the sole income earner I don’t really have a choice but to work 5 days. Maybe one day I can increase my freelancing enough to drop a day.
I agree with Sammie, it’s hard to cover all the basis. I work for myself from home and I love it. I get to pick my own hours, do what I love and help people. However, there are a few small parts that are no my favourite but necessary to grow my business. I look at it as growth.
Do you think it’s easier to view the things you like less as growth when it’s something you overall enjoy and have more control over, like your own business?
I am so glad that you have written this in a post because I can see that you are making the elements of your working life work for you now.
I know that as your health continues to improve…and the stress of a living in the RE house from hell memories subside when you move to the new rental that you will start having more days of sunshine than storms.
Thanks for sharing a really important topic for you and others.
Denyse #teamIBOT
I feel like few people really talk about this – and for some reasons I understand like fear of it “looking bad” to a prospective employer, but I think these are reasonable questions to ask when looking at your career so aren’t negative.
I love my job, though it has it’s drawbacks. But I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up!
What is this “grow up” you speak of? 😉