I'm having one of my (tediously regular) existential crises.
Here's my question: how long should you put up with a (work) situation (or job) that:
a) makes you miserable
b) hasn't changed or improved despite your best attempts to solve things
c) hasn't changed or improved despite the best attempts and intentions of other people to solve things
?
Does the answer change if:
a) you don't have any better alternatives
b) you risk things being a whole lot worse if you just walk away without finding any alternative first
?
I'm at the end of my tether and don't feel like I can trust my own judgement or have anything like a sensible perspective any more. Anyone got any thoughts?
4 comments:
How interesting I pick tonight to read your blogs... I'm having one of those crises at the moment too. Like the dresses...
Thoughts: you can change the way you feel about it. So you may not be able to do anything, but you can deprioritise it as an issue. this will take some doing and a hell of a lot of positive thinking / humour.
At the same time, you commit to doing one small thing a day to get out of it. If you don't know what to do, your task is to spend time coming up with some options.
You will either rise up and take action through the riskier option, or flounder dreadfully without some kind of structure. I was somewhere in the middle... I was getting there but I bottled it too soon. Does that help?
I feel exactly the same and its refreshing to hear someone bring up the exact same issues, that isint me and judging by the comment above, we are not alone either.
I find this work situation really difficult. I go through phases of desperately trying to be positive and instigate change to help improve it, to residing that nothing will ever change and the only thing i can do is remove myself from the situation because thats the only card i hold.
Obviously this situation is made even worse for people who have more responsibilities like a mortgage or children. I don't have any of these things but still in the current climate (I refuse to mention the double C word!) it's hard to justify leaving a job without another to roll on into!
My issue is, and i'm sorry if this takes a turn into a darker side, but will it ever change! will all the annoying things ever go away! Im desperately fighting for the idea that it will change and i will find an office with like minded people who are passionate about positive change and doing some constructive in the world and will support each other rather than burn each other! but maybe im just kidding myself.... who knows!
Or maybe Hannah has got it right when she says that its all about taking the power out of the situation, change your priorities, maybe we expect too much by expecting work to be a positive experience (despite the fact that we do spend a huge proportion of our time there!).
Its frustrating... i feel your pain!
A 'sensible perspective' is what ties people down to lives of drudgery. What you need to do is get in touch with your dreams and ambitions, because presumably what you're doing right now isn't anywhere near touching them, making them happen, and so... Don't be sensible. There are a million reasons to be sensible, and probably very few justifications to step outside the boundaries and go for what you want, but those one or two non-sensible, maybe insane, reasons are what you need to listen to at least every now and then in life. Otherwise, you're just stuck in a reality not of your own making....
That's my tuppence worth, for what it's worth.
Wise words from all three of you.
My friend Caroline at work sent me this link.
It's not rocket science but it does sum up where my head is at:
http://www.typcut.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/Areyouhappy_a2_web_1024-600x848.jpg
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