Empty promises

It was like boarding a rocketship to the moon - a journey full of excitement and surprises, and one that would leave me a changed man forever. At least that was how I interpreted all the great things people had to say when I first started my career.

Ten years on and I have grown a little older and wiser... and ok, I admit it, even a little plump! It's interesting to me that a plumber, a bus driver, a cabbie or even a waiter have a very simple view of their jobs. They clock in, get paid, and clock out. Their work is a means to an end; a way to collect a pay cheque. No different to any other job, really. Yet everyone I know who works in an office has this view that their jobs are somehow magical and meaningful. They often get worked up, stressed, annoyed and agitated when their ideas aren't accepted, when they're asked to do things that are "beneath them" or when they don't get the corner office!

My advice? Think of a career as a series of jobs. And jobs only become stressful or unenchanting when we get emotionally involved. So, as unconventional as this sounds, stop caring! Stop pushing your own agenda, looking for the bigger office and making a point of getting noticed.

Focus more on getting your work done (efficiently, so you can leave at a reasonable time!) and collecting your pay. Nothing else should matter. And I'll bet that when you finally embrace this view, then work will get that little bit more fulfulling!

Image from www.ehow.com