It’s not really work if you enjoy what you’re doing. Or so the saying goes. I used to kind of agree with that. Kind of lived that attitude for a long part of my career. But as you age they say you gain wisdom. Well part of my wisdom is that it’s still work and even if you enjoy it, the mental and physical toll it takes on people are great at times.
Now this is nice work
Photo by Mike Hartley
In watching some of shark week, I see that even the biggest and baddest of them have scares. Lots of them in fact, the bigger and badder they are. So I’m assuming the same is true in business that even the most successful and ones at the top of the management chain have battle wounds.
And those of us in the middle and bottom of the business food chain its a constant struggle. Are we agile, do we learn and get better. Are we swimming in the wrong sea/job? What to do about career choices and employer relationships are some of the most serious decisions we all make every day.
Yep every day. Even if you’re not thinking about another job its how you go about your day-to-day at the current one. Even if you enjoy the hell out of it, what are you doing to strengthen yourself and prepare for the next step or job.
Even though I get satisfaction and enjoyment from doing a blog, photography and other artistic pursuits, it’s still a lot of work. Yeah it goes by with much more enjoyment than the job that pays the bills, but it’s still a substantial effort some weeks. Even when I sit down and words thoughts and ideas flow, or that I get a chance to go shooting and create images I’m pleased with, it’s still time-consuming work.
But work breeds a lot of good things. A sense of accomplishment. Earning a living. Self confidence and a chance to make and achieve goals all the time. And if your lucky the ability to help others succeed. I have found that to be a real reward I’ve always told people they can take my job but they can’t take my knowledge and abilities I bring to the job plus the effort. And I’ve been lucky that I haven’t had to jump around jobs a lot over my career so far.
Well another work week is upon us. As my better half and I sat on the couch this evening contemplating how many more years of work are ahead of us, we both kind of acknowledge there are more than we would probably like to have but we will power through and continue to participate in the grind, and probably beyond when we actually hope to retire, but only time will tell.
I just feel fortunate to have the opportunity to work in a company that has drastically gone very young. In fairness we were fairly old in tooth for a good time so it was bound to change. I miss a lot of old timers. It is like working for a new company most days now. But its my home away from home now. And I have this and my arts to balance out my enjoyment.
So I hope you all have a good work week. Yes its going to be hard. Just enjoy the ride because one day you will look up and it could be gone.
Random Thoughts of the Day
I got to spend some time with my children over the weekend. I can’t overstate how important this is to me.
I’m glad I didn’t waste time today washing my car. With rain in the forecast for the next 5 days it would have been for naught.
One of these days I’ll learn how to sleep.
