I am feeling
a bit bummed about having to go back to work tomorrow but I am not
worried. It is the same feeling I had
after a week of starting my first full time job. I feel a bit down because I am spending my
time at work rather than being free to do anything I want to. But that isn’t really true because my free
time is spent doing unfulfilling things like staying in bed late and grazing on
the internet. Plus there is always the small
issue of money; what is the point of having all this “free time” when you are penniless.
A few years
ago after a week of starting my first full time job I was feeling a bit
depressed. I felt like the purpose of my
life was to go to that office every day and spend all day sat in my chair in
front of my computer. That was my
purpose in life and it was really getting me down. But it was a silly thought really; of course
that wasn’t the purpose of my life. I
was just feeling that way because I had never worked full time before and it
was a shock to the system.
I could
describe my feelings towards work as being a scale with an extreme on each
sides.
On the
negative side I would describe work as selling your life for money. You just convert the hours of your day into
money; effectively you are selling time, your time. How much money you got for your time depended
on how much your time was worth. If
someone was being paid more than you that is because there time was more
valuable than your time. It would be
easier if they just built a machine, a booth that you stepped into and it just
magically sucked time off you. You leave
the booth and it dispenses some money for the time you have just sold.
On the other
end of the scale I would describe work as doing something you love. It is a hobby and you find it fulfilling and
rewarding. The fact that you are getting
paid for it is not important. The only
reason you get paid is to allow you to keep doing this rewarding hobby you
enjoy every day.
So this scale
is how I describe work in general. Since
it has been over a year since I had a full time job it is a bit of a shock to
my lazy system and my feeling towards work is somewhat nearer the negative end
of the scale. But this is exactly how I
felt before when I first started working and after a few weeks I quickly found
myself moving up the scale more towards the positive end. I hope one day I find myself right at the
very end of the positive side of the scale.
Where are you on the “Mike’s Scale of
Job Satisfaction”? Is your job a hobby
you get paid for or are you just selling your life for cash? Maybe you are on the more negative side and
you should consider finding a new job?
Or maybe you have found your calling and sit nicely on the positive side? Join in and write a comment, don’t worry your
boss does not read my blog, I checked.
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| This is going to catch on people! In a few months you will see this in every job centre and every recruitment company. |
When I left school in the 60s, there were far fewer distractions - only 2 channels on the T.V.,no computers, no playstation or Xbox etc, no nightclubs as such, no supermarkets to buy cheap booze from - what else was there to do but go to work?! Also, there were plenty of jobs to choose from, no staff shortages & therefore less pressure at work. Everybody worked so you didn't feel you were missing out on a social life- quite the opposite - you would have felt left out if you didn't work!! Does this help answer your question? Mum.
ReplyDeleteBtw Mikel - I think you'll find your idea of selling time has already been made into a film ;) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1637688/
ReplyDeleteBut I am liking the mike scale of job satisfaction - I think unfortunately there are more people at the lower end of the scale than there are at the top; but hopefully me, you and many of our generation that have an open mind and passion in their bellies will make it to the top ;P