At a recent Girl’s Night get together, a good friend asked us to steer away from the discussion that inevitably meandered to the economy and job security. I am left marveling at how in many circles, the economy has quickly joined the ranks of religion and politics as the newest topic to avoid discussing.
What I resent just a bit about our country’s current economic climate is that it’s created this environment of some people feeling as though they can’t be vocal about what works and what doesn’t in their job position, that they can’t mess up and/or learn from their mistakes. Many people I know feel as though they have to be thankful that they even have a job at all, and closed-mouth-obedient out of sheer terror that tomorrow they’ll get the axe.
I’m not advocating being a difficult employee – but how good can it feel to come to work and not feel as though you can question and challenge and learn in the process? Part of my problem is I wish I could jump in and help every person who feels this way. If I could get them to look at it differently, they’d see that this is an incredible time of opportunity.
Some marketers feel that in times like this, it’s best to push forward full steam ahead instead of easing up. Wouldn’t we all be a little happier if we looked at our respective jobs this way? Be remembered for pushing the envelope when the easier thing for you may have been to quietly meet expectation.
I’ve heard many wise people say that if you don’t love what you do, you shouldn’t be doing it. To get out and get to doing what it is that you DO love. I agree with this, though I realize that it’s just not that simple for everybody, and sometimes you’re not going to love every aspect of what you do (i.e. one of your handful of responsibilities, dealing with difficult coworkers), but that you might love your job at the very core. So I say, make the best of what you’ve got, and don’t allow the little things that you don’t love overwhelm you. Keep everything in perspective and don’t be afraid to take that step back, assess the situation and realize you have a choice in your professional happiness.
Just sayin. And if that doesn’t work, you can always blow off steam in healthy ways:
